Can't Forget
by notswallowedby
Summary: LPNH Set a few years in the future. Brooke and Lucas are married, but what happens when Peyton comes back into the picture? What happened between the two of them over the summer? Nathan and Haley seem to despise each other, but what's really going on?
1. A Friendly Face

Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with One Tree Hill or any of its creators. Please review!

A twenty year old Peyton Sawyer stepped off the plane into the cold wind of New York. She must have been crazy to agree to this trip in the middle of winter. She should be home in her nice, warm apartment in Miami, Florida. But instead, here she was. But she had been granted the internship at MTV Studios, so she should be grateful that she was here. Going back into the airport, Peyton recovered her luggage, and took to looking for the person who was supposed to me picking her up. Through the midst of the crowd, she spotted someone holding a sign that mentioned her name. As she got closer, the woman started to look familiar to her- her brown, straight hair, the details of her face.

"Peyton!" squealed a familiar voice. She knew who it was now.

"Brooke Davis."

Brooke embraced her in a hug. Peyton tried to remember the last time she had seen Brooke. It was at the end of their junior year, the day when she left for California. It seemed like a life-time ago.

Brooke had released Peyton. "So you're the new intern, huh?"

"What are the chances?" Peyton replied with a small smile at her former best friend.

"So, how've ya been," Brooke asked curiously. "And what are you doing here?"

Peyton thought through the time they had been apart. At the end of the summer, right before the start of the last year of high school at Tree Hill, Peyton's father proposed an opportunity to her that she couldn't refuse. He had gotten a job that would station him in the Bahamas for a year. Not wanting to be away from his daughter for that long, he asked Peyton to come with him- to leave school and her life behind for the time being. At that time in her life, Peyton had jumped at the escape. Things had gotten quite...complicated over the span of the summer, so she was eager to flee the problems and start over again. She agreed readily, and took the time to notify the school and see if she could still graduate before she left. Although she wouldn't be able to come back for any of the year or for graduation, Peyton would still get credit for all of her education if she took some classes in the Bahamas. So off she went, leaving behind the world she had known, but what she didn't know was that it was good. Her and Brooke had stayed in touch for about a year or so, but the phone calls lessened, and the two drifted apart in their own separate worlds. She hadn't heard from Brooke, or anyone else for that matter, in about a year.

"Well.. I'm still going to Miami University. There was an opportunity for the internship here, since I'm a major in media, I figured what was better than MTV? And what are you doing here? Last time I knew, you were still in Tree Hill."

Brooke nodded. "It wasn't for me, anymore. I'm more of a big city girl, ya know? Plus Lucas still goes to school here, so I made the move up here with him."

Peyton started at Lucas' name, hopefully unnoticed by Brooke. "You're still with Lucas?"

Brooke waved her hand in front of Peyton's face, revealing a ring on her finger. "We're married. Six months ago, in a few days."

Peyton was speechless. Her head swam with feelings that she didn't even want to acknowledge. Jealously was number one on the list. She saw that Brooke was looking at her expectantly, obviously wanting some kind of a reaction. "Oh. Wow, " Peyton managed to stammer. "That's great, Brooke," she told her half-heartedly, getting her act together.

"I know, isn't it!"

Brooke continued on with her story from before, but Peyton was only half listening. Lucas was married... and to Brooke, which made it even worse. She guessed his feelings for Brooke were really the true ones- not the ones for her.

"-and I got the job at the studios and was told to go get the intern, and well here we are." Brooke finished. "I have to bring you in to work, I guess. Then you come see everyone- they're going to be soo excited to see you."

"Everyone?"

"Yeah- Lucas, Haley, and Nathan."

"They're all here too?" Peyton asked, surprised that whole group had stayed together, minus her of course.

Brooke nodded eagerly. "Yeah, Haley is living with us- me and Lucas- for the time being and Nathan stays at his dorm. He's transferring at the end of the year though to go play for Duke. They offered him a scholarship, and he says he wants to be closer to home."

"Him and Haley aren't together anymore?" Peyton asked as they got into Brooke's car and started driving.

"Nope." She looked over at Peyton, who looked surprised.

"But I thought after Nathan went to High Flyers, they were going to work things out-"

"-Didn't happen. I think the only reason Haley is here, in New York, is that she's still chasing after Nathan. Nathan doesn't seem to complain about the company either, though."

Peyton shook her head, confused. "Doesn't make any sense."

Brooke parked the car, arriving at their destination. "What doesn't?"

"That two people that are obviously meant to be together, aren't." Her thoughts were not only on Nathan and Haley, but were dwelling on her and Lucas.

"Yeah... we're here!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Her and Peyton hopped out of the car, Peyton feeling a little nervous. "We obviously have to do this first, but then it's time to reintroduce you to everyone at home."

Peyton smiled, even more nervous about that aspect of the day.


	2. After All This Time

2. Meeting Dipped With Tension

Brooke used her keys to unlock the door to her and Lucas' small house. She had just finished telling Peyton that it wasn't much, but the company made it worthwhile.

"I'm home!" Brooke yelled. Peyton dropped her luggage onto the floor.

Haley came out of a room, her guitar strapped around her. Her eyes remained on the strings, which her fingers were flying over quietly. "Hey, Lucas isn't home yet, and I have to head out to finish up a song so-" Haley looked up and stopped mid-sentence. Her eyes now on the blonde in the room. Haley's face scrunched up as if she was trying to remember something. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Peyton?"

Peyton nodded, with a huge smile. Haley almost threw her guitar she took it off so quickly and scooped Peyton up into a hug. "What are you doing here?"

Peyton stepped back from Haley to look at her. She was the same old Haley, a little older, her hair a little lighter, but it was still her. "I'm interning at MTV," she told Haley matter-of-factly.

"For how long," Haley asked.

"A whole year."

"Leaving nice and warm Florida to come all the way up here?"

"I don't think I'm going to regret that anymore."

Haley looked her over again, ecstatically. "I really wish I could stay, but I have to go finish laying down a track, and I've been late so many times before," she rambled on. "But it is really good to see you, Peyton."

"You too, Haley", Peyton replied, trying to wrap her head around the whirlwind that was Haley James.

Haley grabbed her guitar again, disappearing back into the room she came from. Emerging with the instrument in its case and a jacket in her hand. She passed Brooke on the way to the door. "Oh- and don't bother leaving any dinner for me, because we probably won't finish until late tonight. Peyton can have my share." She flung open the door. "I'll see ya guys later."

Brooke yelled a bye to her back and turned to Peyton who had her mouth open slightly. "The new Haley," Brooke told her. "Something, isn't she?"

"So she's 'laying down tracks' now?"

Brooke nodded. "Got a record deal about a month ago- that's why she had to move to New York."

"Huh."

Brooke laughed. "Here-" Brooke said as she took up one of Peyton's bags, motioning for her to get the others. "Let's put this in here for now." She led Peyton into the room that Haley kept popping in and out of. "Just shove your jacket here or something," she said, referencing to the bed. Brooke walked out leaving Peyton to shed her coat. From the room, Peyton heard the door open and close. Curious, she walked out of the room. There was Lucas Scott coming through the door. She watched from the background as he placed a kiss on Brooke's lips. He moved to put his books on the table when he saw her. She watched the recognition show on his face as his body froze.

Peyton's heart beat wildly in her chest as she tried to calm the feelings that were overwhelming her. "Hi," she said quietly. A simple statement, but to Lucas and Peyton, it spoke volumes.

Lucas couldn't speak. His mind was clouded by the girl- the woman- that stood in front of him. Her hair was longer than in the summer he had spent with her. If possible, she was even more beautiful than she was then. He slowly took steps towards her, their eyes locked, totally unaware that there were other people in the room, in the world. She took her own steps towards him and they met in a hug. He took in the scent of her hair as she marveled in the feel of him again. After a moment, Lucas released her, taking a step back. Peyton saw that his eyes held fear, and she looked at him strangely. Lucas looked away, trying to hide it: the fear that accompanied the immediate rush of feelings that had stormed him once he saw her, when he touched her after all of these years. When Lucas looked back up at her, Peyton saw that that look was gone.

"Hey," he said in a hoarse voice. He cleared his throat. "What are you doing here?"

Peyton shook her head and cleared her own throat. "I- uh- I got an internship at MTV. Brooke was the one that picked me up from the airport."

Lucas blinked his eyes rapidly, glancing at Brooke like he was just remembering that she was there. In all actually, he had. Lucas scratched his face distractedly. "That's really great, Peyton. How long are you here for- you are staying in the city, right?"

Peyton smiled slightly and nodded her head. "A year."

Brooke cut into the uncomfortable conversation. "We'll get into the details later," she said, waving her hands dismissively. "Honey, do you want to eat out tonight, since Peyton's here, or just stay in?"

"Oh- don't do anything special for me," Peyton told her, wanting to get out of their house, away from the new tension that was just created unbeknownst to Brooke.

"No!" Lucas said quickly, a little desperately. "Stay for dinner, at least- than you can get to where your staying. We'll help you."

Peyton bit her lip, eventually nodding her head in consent. "Alright," she answered against her better judgement.

Brooke walked her way over to the door. "Then I'll get.. chinese food?"

"You don't want me to get it?" Lucas stuttered out.

"Nah, you and Peyton catch up. I had my chance today." She opened up the door. "I might be awhile, you know the lines... bye," Brooke said as she closed the door behind her.

Peyton glanced at Lucas, who turned away quickly. It was just them now.


	3. The Past Catches Up With You

**Chapter 3: The Past Catches Up With You**

_"Looks like it's just you and me this summer.." Lucas told her after he sat himself in the cool sand next to her. _

_Needing all the comfort that the world could give her at this time, Peyton pulled him into a hug. _

_A long moment later, Lucas pulled back from her, his hand lingering on her arm. "You okay?"_

_Not wanting to tell him about the woman that had just appeared at her doorway, claiming to be her mother, she nodded. _

_"Missing Jake?" Lucas asked her. Peyton was surprised at his tone- like he was disgusted with her missing someone else. Ignoring it for the moment, she nodded again. _

_"Yeah," she replied, her voice quiet._

_Lucas shifted, stretching his legs out in the sand. "Wanna know what stupid thing I just did with Brooke?"_

_"Sure, it's always fun to hear about other people doing stupid things."_

_Lucas gave her a look. "Funny." He stayed silent for a moment._

_"Come on, tell me."_

_"I kissed her," Lucas said with a cringe._

_"You did what?" Peyton exclaimed. _

_"And then I told her I wanted to be with her."_

_Peyton was quiet for a moment. Her thoughts were on his box of stuff about her- his Peyton box. Guess Brooke was wrong about his feelings. For some reason, Peyton felt a twinge of hurt at this. _

_"What did she say?" Peyton finally asked. _

_"That she was sorry.. which I don't get."_

_"You don't get the word sorry? You use it an awful lot from what I remember."_

_"Peyton."_

_"Sorry," she said with a smile. _

_"Maybe I was wrong.. I just read things wrong.. but she does have feelings for me, doesn't she?" he asked boldly. _

_Peyton paused wondering if she should tell him things about Brooke. "I don't think you should be asking me," she replied._

_"Right," Lucas said, looking uncomfortable. _

_They sat in silence for a few moments. _

_"We should do this more often," he said quietly. _

_"What- brood together?" Peyton asked, slighly flirtatous. _

_"Be friends."_

_Peyton looked at him with a smile. "We do have all summer..."_

- ----

Back in the present day, Peyton was wracking her brain, looking for something to talk about, while Lucas was doing the same.

"You want a drink or something..?" he asked her as he went over to the fridge, throwing the door open widely. "We've got iced tea... water... soda... beer.. although that probably wouldn't be a good thing to have now.."

"I might need some," Peyton interrupted, earning a look from Lucas. "Joke. Soda's fine."

Lucas pulled out two sodas and they headed towards the couch, Lucas turning on a basketball game.

The uncomfortable silence plowed on. Peyton tried to think of something else, but her mind kept going back to him and Brooke. "So.. you and Brooke?"

Lucas nodded, keeping his eyes away from hers.

"How...?" Peyton pushed slowly.

"Did it happen?" Lucas finished and Peyton nodded.

"When she came back- the day after you left- she said that she had feelings for me. That she wanted to be with me.. we've been together ever since."

"And now you're married."

Lucas nodded slowly, still not making eye contact with Peyton.

"You really don't seem all that happy about that."

Lucas actually looked at Peyton with that remark. "Excuse me?" he asked coldly. Peyton had obviously hit a nerve.

"Sorry. Out of place," she defended quickly, putting her hands up in the air.

Lucas rose up of his chair. "You can't just come in her after what- three years- and just pick everything back up again like nothing happened, Peyton!"

Peyton remained quiet, watching him pace back and forth on the floor. He stopped suddenly. "You hurt me, Peyton. That's what I've been remembering of you for all these years. The hurt you caused me."

She blinked rapidly, her eyes filling with unwanted, yet uncontrolled tears. "Lucas-"

Just then the door opened and there stood another particular Scott, Nathan Scott that is.

* * *

A/N- thanks for the reviews 


	4. The Other Scott

Chapter 4:

"You two arguing again..?" Nathan started to ask before he realized that Brooke was not the woman in the room. He looked over her curly blonde hair, her clothes, and a look of realization came over his face.

"Hi, Nathan." Peyton said with a smile. Lucas looked at her, seeing the tears in her eyes gone. He didn't think she would get that upset, he didn't mean it...

Nathan was pulling Peyton into a hug. "What are you doing here?" Nathan asked in complete shock. Peyton explained the story again, for the third time that day. When she finished, she noticed that Lucas had disappeared from the room. "Do they argue a lot?" Peyton asked quietly.

"Not a lot... but enough. About stupid things really." Nathan told her as he flopped himself down on the couch, looking right at home. "Speaking of.. what were you two arguing about?"

Peyton sighed. "What else but that memorable summer?"

Nathan nodded. "It must be weird- to see him again."

"You have no idea.." Peyton said as the entrance to the house flew open again. Haley came sprinting in. "Or maybe you do.." she said with a glance at Nathan, whose eyes were following Haley.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

_"Hi." Haley said, unconfidently. She clutched onto her scarf as if it were a life support. _

_Nathan glanced down at the ground before looking back up at her. "Why are you here, Haley?" he asked coldly._

_Haley sniffed and swallowed nervously. "Because I... I had to see you."_

_Nathan scoffed. "And why's that- Chris drop out of the tour?"_

_Haley shook her head. "I've told you- there is no me and Chris."_

_"Well, there's no you and me, either, Haley."_

_Haley looked down at the ground, the pain evident in her face. "Lucas gave you the papers," she stated quietly. _

_"The ones that you happened to sign."_

_"You signed them too!"_

_Nathan was quiet for a second. Haley looked up at him. His eyes were a dark blue. She could see the hurt etched into his face. The pain that she alone had caused him._

_"That wasn't my signature, Haley. Dan faked it." Haley's mouth opened slightly. "Which means you were the only one to sign the annulment papers."_

_"Nathan I-"_

_The phone rang inside the house. Nathan looked into the house, searching for his mom. "Mom? You got that?"_

_He was answered when the phone stopped ringing. Nathan went back to Haley, turning clumsily with his brace. She had steady tears running down her face now, her hand over her mouth. "Haley-"_

_"Nathan," came a frantic voice from the stairs. "Get in the car, we have to go the hospital."_

_"Why, what happened?"_

_"Dan's there."_

----- ---- -- -- --

Nathan's brain flipped back to present day. He could hear Haley talking to Lucas in the other room. Nathan let out a sigh, rising from the couch. "I'm gonna get back to school. I have practice in like half an hour," he said, looking at his watch.

Haley came running back through the room, papers in her hand. Looked like sheet music to Peyton. "Hi, bye," Haley said breathlessly with a wave as she went back through the door. Peyton shook her head. "Nate, do you mind taking me and my stuff to my apartment?" She glanced at Lucas who was re-entering the room. "I'm not really all that hungry anymore."

"Sure," Nathan told her.

Peyton walked past Lucas to get her stuff. "My apartment is only a few minutes away from here- you won't be late for practice."

Nathan nodded as he picked up one of her bags. "I'll see ya later, Luke," Nathan said as he swung open the door.

Peyton followed him out, turning in the doorway. "Tell Brooke I said sorry I had to miss dinner."

Her free hand reached out for the doornob and she swung the door shut behind her.


	5. Moving On But Not To Each Other

I know it's been forever since I've updated..so here ya go. Please review! Thanks!

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Lucas didn't say anything as Peyton left his house. His and Brooke's house, he reminded himself. It was him and Brooke now...

-- -- -- --

_Lucas let the heavy box down on the counter with a grunt. _

_"That too heavy for ya," Peyton asked from the other side of the counter. _

_Lucas rolled his eyes at her._

_"Thanks for helping me out, Luc. With your mom gone, and Deb a little... preoccupied, I really need the help to keep this club up and running."_

_"It's not a problem," Lucas told her with a shake of his head. "I'm glad you decided to keep the club running and not give it up like you were going to.."_

_"I figure why let Jake's absence stop me from doing something I enjoy?"_

_Lucas nodded. "Good." He started to pull things out of the box. "You know what? We are both gonna move on- you from Jake and me from Brooke."_

_Peyton nodded slowly in response. "But not onto each other...right?"_

_Lucas glanced at her, then back to what he was doing. "Of course not," he said unconvincingly to Peyton and even himself. _

_"Right," Peyton added softly._

-- -- -- --

Lucas sunk himself into the couch. That was not how he had imagined a reunion between him and Peyton. As many times as he had imagined her walking back into his life, that was not how it was supposed to go. He ran a hand through his hair as Brooke came mowing through the door, bags of food in her hands.

"That took you long enough," Lucas said grumpily as she set the bags down on the table.

Brooke, whose hair was mess, decided to ignore that little comment. "You know the lines, Lucas," she repeated. "You should just get it yourself next time, then."

"Fine," Lucas uttered as he took the food out of the bags.

Brooke looked around the room. "Where's Peyton?"

"She went home."

Brooke screwed up her face. "Why?"

Lucas feigned a shrug. "Said she wasn't hungry. Nate took her over to her apartment."

"Oh."

Lucas got his food and sat at the table. Brooke followed him. "Back to just you and me, then."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --- - - - - - -

Peyton looked around her new home for a year. Although she really didn't feel like unpacking, Peyton crossed the room to one of her bags, unzipping it. She went searching for one of her records and the player, when her hand came across a cd. Taking it out of her bag, she ran her fingers over it fondly. It was a mix cd that Lucas had made her about a month into the summer.

-- -- -- --

_"I've got something for you," Lucas said as he led her into his house._

_Peyton hadn't been in there in a long time. He made his way into 'his' room, where he lifted a cd up from the table with the computer on it. _

_"A mix?"_

_"Yeah," Lucas said. "Don't read too much into it."_

_Peyton smiled with remembrance of that line and took the cd. She looked around the room, which had all of Brooke's stuff still in it. "Do you like sleep in here and everything?"_

_"Sometimes," Lucas told her. "It's weird, though. Doesn't feel like my room anymore. I don't wanna touch anything."_

_Peyton wandered through the room, looking at all of Brooke's stuff. "I miss her. She calls, but it's not the same as her being here. She claims she hates California, but then she goes on about the shopping deals, and the hot boys, and all these other things.." Peyton stopped talking when she saw a picture of her on the floor, half under the bed. "Looks like she forgot a picture.." Peyton reached down to pick it up at the same time that Lucas tried to stop her. He beat her to it and snatched the picture up, keeping it hidden from her._

_"What are you doing? Why can't I see the picture?" She asked, looking at him strangely._

_"Uh..because-be- just because."_

_"Good argument, Lucas," she said as she moved towards the door of the room. She layed the cd back down on his desk. "Ya know, I thought after about a month that we were to the point of friends, but I guess I was wrong."_

_She walked out the door, leaving Lucas with the picture in his hands. As soon as he heard the outside door slam shut, he looked at the photo in his hands. It was a picture of him and Peyton. One of the memories from his Peyton box. Sighing, Lucas kept the picture in his hand, grabbed the mix cd, and ran out of his room after Peyton._

--- --- --- --- ---

Peyton put the cd back down and went into her room, lying herself on her bed. It had been a long day, and she was starting to feel it. Just then, her phone rang in the other room. Groaning, Peyton forced herself to get up and go get it.


	6. Secrets Revealed

**A/N: Just relocated this the LP section, since it is primarily LP but does have major NH. Please R&R. Thanks!**

"Hello?" she said into the phone, her voice groggy.

"Hey, Peyton," came a voice from the other end. "Did I wake you?"

"Oh, hey Elizabeth. It's alright, I really wasn't sleeping."

"Sorry anyways. So how's New York?"

"Cold."

Elizabeth let out a laugh. "I told you not to go all the way up there."

"Yeah, yeah," Peyton responded. "But get this- I come all the way to New York and guess who happens to live here?"

"It's not Lucas is it?"

"Lucas, Brooke, Nathan, and Haley."

"Wow. How are they all?"

Peyton took a moment to put it into a word. "Different," she supplied.

Elizabeth was pondering a question on the other side of the line. "How was it to see him again?" she asked, hoping Peyton wouldn't get mad.

"Lucas?"

"Who else?"

"It doesn't matter. He's married."

"To who?"

"Oh, to Brooke," she added, a fake cheeriness to her voice.

"Boy moves fast, doesn't he?"

"You got that right."

"But really.. how was it, Peyton?"

Peyton was silent herself for a moment, trying to figure out a way to put all of her feelings into words. "Everything I ever felt for him, that I thought was gone, came rushing back at the sight of him. You would think the feelings would go away, or lessen after three years, but they're still there." Peyton flopped herself on her bed. "I don't know what I'm going to do around here for a year. It's going to be interesting."

"Sounds it," Elizabeth responded from the phone. "Listen, I've got to go, but call me tomorrow and we can talk more about this.."

"Kay," Peyton said, wondering what the rush was. "Thanks for calling, Elizabeth."

"Sure. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye," Peyton said as she hung up the phone. She stared at the phone for a second, marveling still in the fact that she had a mother- she may only be her birth mother- but she was still alive and there. Her thoughts drifted back to Lucas, once again. He was the only one of the group of them that even knew of Elizabeth's existence. She remembered the day she told him about her. -- -- -- -- After she left his room angry, Lucas found Peyton at the beach again. This seemed to be her new spot to think. He watched her with a smile. Her jeans were rolled up to her knees, allowing the waves to come crashing up her legs as she stood at the edge of the ocean. He spotted her shoes feet up the beach, laid in disarray on the sand in back of her. Peyton had her back to him and her arms were crossed against her chest. Lucas moved towards her quietly, hoping that she wouldn't run away from him again. Moving past her shoes, he also noticed that her drawing pad was laid out in the sand, a pencil on top of it. It was blank.

He shed his own shoes and marched right up next to her in the water. He glanced at her, but she didn't look at him at all, her eyes remaining on the water in the distance. "What do you want, Lucas?" she asked him coldly.

Lucas pulled the picture of the two of them out of his pocket. After looking at it for a moment, he handed it to her. Peyton looked at him for a moment, surprised, then took the picture from his hand. Lucas watched her, surprised himself, as she looked over the picture fondly.

He took a deep breath. "It's from a box. A box of stuff about you, from you.. it's pretty much your box," Lucas told her quickly. He held his breath, waiting to hear what her response was to that.

"I know."

"Wh-what?" he asked her confused.

"About the box. Brooke told me."

Lucas looked down at his feet. "Oh... is it weird?"

"A little," Peyton said, her voice even, even though she was freaking out. Truthfully, it was one thing to hear it from Brooke and then to see proof of it for real. "But I'll admit I still have some pictures of you still, too," she said, trying to rationalize the situation.

"You do?"

"Yeah, Luc. They're just memories, right?"

Lucas nodded, a sad look on his face. Memories. Somehow these times captured in these pictures didn't feel that far in the past.

"I'm sorry- about trying to keep it from you. I want this friendship, Peyton. For that time that we didn't talk, that I didn't know what was going on in your life- it was terrible. I want to be involved." He took one of her hands. "No more lies, okay?"

Peyton bit her lip and nodded. "Then let's start that now. We both know that there's one huge thing from each of our lives that we're not telling each other. You know it and I know it. In the honor of our new friendship... I'm ready to spill."

Lucas' face stiffened. He thought about the consequences of telling her the secret. "Okay," he said finally. "But you start since it's your idea."

"Fine," Peyton replied with a laugh. "Let's sit."

She pulled Lucas, who had never removed his hand from hers, to the sand near her shoes. Lucas was surprised to find that his hand was still clinging to hers. It wasn't strange or uncomfortable.. but it felt right. Like as long as he held onto this girl, everything would be perfect in the world. Just as he thought this, she pulled his hand from his. The feeling vanished, and Lucas was left with a coldness, an emptiness. Both of her hands were now on their picture.

"Okay.." she started. "The first night of summer vacation, when you found me on the beach?" she asked, looking at him for recognition. He nodded quickly and she continued. "The woman who had been asking me for an interview, she came to my house. And she told me that she was my mother."

Lucas started. "But-"

"Hang on," Peyton said. "Not my mother that died, obviously. I ignored her that night. Told her she was crazy and all that. The next day, I called my father about it." She took a visual breath. "Apparently, I was adopted."

Lucas sat in stunned silence for a moment. "Yeah," Peyton said, "That was how I felt."

"I don't even know what to say to that," Lucas said as he ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up in weird positions. Noticing this, Peyton reached a hand up and smoothed it back down with a laugh. Lucas watched her movements.

"Turns out my mother wasn't able to have kids, so they found Elizabeth. She was sixteen when she got pregnant and wasn't going to keep the baby- me of course, so my parents arranged it and they had me as soon as I was born. That's also why my middle name is Elizabeth, because she gave my parents their child."

She turned to Lucas, who had his mouth half opened, his head shaking back and forth. She smiled at him. "It's a lot, I know."

"Are you okay? I mean, it's a huge thing to find out that you were adopted."

Peyton nodded. "At first, I was freaked out. Mad at my dad for never telling me, mad that my birth mother didn't want me. After a few weeks, I saw it differently. Like I have a new opportunity to have a mother."

"A second chance to a mother in your life."

"Something like that," Peyton agreed. "I talk to Elizabeth every couple of days. I like her... it's just weird for now."

"This may sound bad," Lucas started. "But I think this is a blessing in disguise. Another opportunity for you to have a mother.. you've been hurting for one all this time."

Peyton smiled again, a little wistfully. "I think you're right." She sniffed quietly and Lucas laid a hand on her back for comfort. "I believe it's your turn now, Scott."

"Nah, how 'bout we stop playing?"

"Lucas."

"Alright," he said as he averted his gaze from hers, his eyes focusing on the gentle waves in the distance. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "I have HCM."


	7. Grab the Knife to Cut the Tension

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, they're always welcome:) This is a HUGE update so enjoy!**

continue the flashback

_Lucas was met with silence from Peyton in response. He opened his eyes to look at her. Her face held a million emotions- concern, worry, anger.._

_"You- you- you have a life threatening illness that you've been hiding from me? I thought my secret was bad, but it's nothing compared to that!" Peyton said angerly and got up from her seat quickly. She started to storm away when Lucas reached out a hand to stop her._

_"I've been hiding it from everyone, Peyton. My mom doesn't even know," he said to her back, watching her perfect curls sway gently in the soft wind._

_She turned around to face him and Lucas could see tears in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly._

_"I didn't want you to worry. I didn't want anyone to feel bad for me."_

_Peyton closed her eyes, pushing the tears to drop from them. "You can't be sick, Lucas," she told him, her voice breaking. She opened her eyes, blinking the tears from them rapidly. "You can't- you can't die.. I.. You can't.." He pulled her into a hug, feeling her tears soaking his shirt. They stayed like that for a moment. Suddenly, she pulled back from him._

_"If no one knows, then who is getting your medicine?"_

_He was caught by that question. Lucas was hoping that he wouldn't have to tell her about that part of the situation._

_"Dan was."_

_Peyton shook her head once. "Well he obviously isn't now."_

_"I know," Lucas told her._

_"How much more do you have.. you obviously can't pay for the medicine yourself," she asked him tearfully._

_Lucas didn't answer her right away. "Lucas?"_

_"I haven't had my full perscription for a long time. I ran out the same day of the summer that you found out about your mother."_

_Peyton made a noise of disbelief. "Lucas!"_

_"I know. It's a risk, but nobody can pay for it. My mom doesn't have the money, and even if she did, she's in New Zealand.. and there's nobody else to pay for it."_

_A new flow of tears left Peyton's eyes. Lucas reached up hesistantly, using his hand to wipe them off her cheeks. Peyton closed her eyes involuntarily in response. "Don't get upset about this, Peyton. This is why I didn't want to tell you." His hand lingered on her cheek for a moment before he dropped it quickly. She made another noise of disbelief and her eyes flew open. "Please," he pleaded with her. "And you can't tell anyone about it."_

_After a moments thought, she nodded her head. "Promise," she told him._

_Lucas reached into his pocket, pulling out the cd. "Will you take this now?"_

_Peyton laughed as she wiped the remaining tears from her face. She extended her hand and grabbed the cd. "Obviously. Better have some good songs on it, Scott."_

_He put an arm around her shoulder, retriving her things from the beach, before heading back to their respective homes._

_end flashback_

And Peyton had kept that promise since then.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, Peyton was getting ready for her first real day as an intern when she heard a knock at her door. Wondering who could possibly be at her door, she looked through the peephole. It was Lucas. She really didn't want to talk to him right now. He knocked again, harder this time. Sighing in resolve, her hand moved to the doornob and she opened the door slightly, enough to stick her head out.

"Hi," Lucas said as her head appeared outside the door.

"How did you know where I lived," Peyton asked him, her voice cold.

"I kinda asked Nathan," he told her slowly. "Can I come in, please? I want to talk about last night."

"You don't owe me anything, Lucas. There's no need to talk about last night, or anything for that matter."

"Peyton, please. I don't want it to be like this."

"Don't want what to be like this?" Peyton asked him, wanting him to define what exactly they were talking about.

"Whatever you and I are now."

"And what's that?"

Lucas sighed. "I don't know, Peyton."

Peyton shook her head, opening the door farther. "Fine."

He entered her apartment, taking a look around. It was basically empty, her stuff was still in her bags. "Not unpacked yet?" He laid his backpack down on the couch. Apparently he was on his way to school.

"No.." Peyton said. "I was tired, just went to bed. It's only a couple of bags anyways."

Lucas nodded. "What about the rest of your stuff?"

"Elizabeth is shipping it out to me today."

"You're still in contact with her?"

"Yup," she told him. "Enough small talk. Get it out, Lucas."

Lucas' brooding face appeared. Peyton looked it over, having to reprimand herself to keep from saying something about it. It was funny that she actually missed that face.

"Last night.. didn't go very well."

"Obviously," Peyton blurted, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"I'm sorry about what I said," Lucas told her softly, his eyes glued to the floor.

Peyton heard his earnesty, and suddenly all of her anger disappeared. She never could stay mad at him for long. "Me too. I was way out of line. I was just... caught off guard, that's all."

Lucas was quiet was a moment. He looked up at her a second later. "We should start over. Ignore what happened yesterday."

Peyton nodded. "Sure."

"Let's try to move on from the past. From what happened that summer."

"Good."

Lucas spotted a cd on her table. In an instant, he recognized it. The mix he had made her that summer. He remembered he made it for two reasons. First, to pay her back for the cd she made him for his first away game. Second, he did it because he had realized he was falling for her again. At the time he didn't know it... but he was. Lucas took the cd in his hands, opening it. Inside, he found the picture of the two of them. The one from his box and the one that spurred the argument that ended at the beach. He looked up at Peyton, but she had disappeared from the room. Confused, he got up and found her in the bathroom, playing with her hair.

"You always follow people into the bathroom?" she asked, trying to distract him from what was still in his hands.

"I remember the day I gave you this, Peyton," he said, his face reminiscent.

"Yeah, me too. But like you just said: time to move on."

"I did say that didn't I?" he asked, watching Peyton brush her fingers through her long blonde curls. It was almost mesmerizing.

"Aren't you supposed to be at school?", Peyton asked him, feeling his eyes boring into her.

"Oh-" Lucas said startled. "Yeah. I'll see ya later, Peyton."

"I do owe you and Brooke a dinner, don't I?"

"Dinner sounds good," Lucas said as he left the bathroom akwardly. Crossing the room quickly, he grabbed his stuff, put the cd back down on the table, and left the house without another word.

Peyton stuck her head out around the doorframe of the bathroom in time to see him close the door. She let out a deep sigh. Peyton didn't think she could stand the tension anymore.

On the other side of the door, Lucas did the same thing. He hurried to his car, late for his class.

After a long day at her new job, Brooke dragged Peyton back to her place for dinner. She didn't even give her a chance to get changed or anything. Nathan was there when they got in the house.

"Don't you ever stay in your dorm?" Peyton asked him, laughing.

Brooke laughed too. "The answer to that would be a no."

"Where's Luke? We're supposed to be shooting some hoops tonight?" he said he spun his basketball on his finger. Peyton, who was coincidently standing in back of him at the time, knocked the ball off his finger and back into his chest.

"Ow," he complained, grabbing his chest. Peyton laughed.

"Not tonight, Nathan. We're having dinner with Peyton. Make-up from last night."

"Thanks a lot, Peyton," Nathan said jokingly. "Not only did you give me a bruise, but you ruined my plans."

"You want more than a bruise?" Peyton asked him sweetly.

"No- no that's okay," Nathan responded quickly, scrambling off the couch to get away from her. "I'll just get going, then."

"No, why don't you stay?"

Nathan hesitated. "Whose else is coming?" he asked Brooke. Peyton knew what the real question was: is Haley going to be there?

"Lucas and Haley, duh," Brooke responded.

"Oh. I really should get back to sch-"

"No," Brooke interrupted. "You are not cutting out on dinner just because Haley is going to be there."

Nathan opened his mouth, looking for an excuse. He knew that nothing was going to work, so he just shut it. Peyton put a hand on his shoulder. "You'll get through it, Nathan. You're a strong boy." Peyton said, a smile on her face.

"Ha-ha."

The dinner, to say the least, was going interestingly. Peyton had ended up next sitting with Haley on one side of the table so Nathan wouldn't have to sit next to her. The only problem with that was it sat her next to Lucas and Nathan across from Haley. Peyton noticed more than once that the two kept looking at each other when the other wasn't looking. Rolling her eyes, she put hers on her own food. She was determined not to bump arms with Lucas one more time that night. Each time she did, the meal got more and more uncomfortable. She remembered a the last time that her and Lucas had eaten together...

_start flashback_

_About a week after the argument about the picture, Peyton was letting Lucas lead her to somewhere. He had his hand over her eyes, but little known to Lucas, she could see perfectly._

_"Don't look," he warned._

_"I would never dare" she told him with a laugh._

_He was taking her to some resturant along the beach. They were in Charleston. Lucas had driven her out to see a show that night there, and was determined to find somewhere that was open at one in the morning._

_"Ha- found one. I told you," he said as he removed his hand from her eyes._

_"Yeah, yeah," Peyton replied as he pulled her arm towards it. He had been very touchy-feely tonight. "It is very beautiful, though Luke."_

_Lucas approached the front desk of the place. "You guys still open?"_

_The person at the desk glanced up at the clock. "For another five minutes."_

_Peyton gave him 'an I told you so' face. "Can we have some food to go?"_

_"Everything's closed down for the night, sir."_

_"There's nothing?" he asked desperately._

_The woman behind the desk smiled. She nodded towards the back of the place. "There is that ice cream machine, back there."_

_Lucas smiled back as Peyton looked back at it. "Ice cream sounds good." Lucas payed for it and the two got their ice cream. Since the place was closing, they couldn't sit in it, so they ended up sitting in the sand once again._

_"We always seem to end up on the beach," Peyton observed. "Even if we are in Charleston."_

_"Ends up that way doesn't it?" Lucas responded as he licked his fastly melting ice cream._

_They sat in silence for a few moments, taking their time to eat their snack. The wind was blowing furiously around them as the waves crashed upon the shore. "It's gonna rain," Lucas commented quietly._

_Peyton was looking up at the stars, her eyes reflected the light from above. "Let it," Peyton responded. "I don't think anything could ruin this night."_

_Lucas smiled widely as he watched her. He hadn't seen her this happy since her times with Jake. Reminding himself of that, Lucas turned away from her, putting his eyes back onto the waves. "I'm glad I could get your mind off of things for a night," he told her. "Off of your- Elizabeth... off of Jake.." he added. "Have you heard anything from him?"_

_Peyton shook her head. "I'm not expecting to," she said, surprising him. "I think your plan to move on worked. The longer he's away, the more my feelings for him lessen."_

_Lucas was staring at her. She was never this open about her feelings before and it shocked him._

_"I can't believe I just told you that," Peyton said, obviously unnerved. She ran her free hand through her curls._

_"Thank you," Lucas replied._

_Peyton scrunched up her face, confused. "For what?"_

_"Being open with me. For letting me in," he said as he looked at her. To Peyton, it was like he was looking into her soul, seeing all of her. He was the only one that could do that. It scared Peyton. She looked away from him quickly as he continued. "It means a lot, Pey.. more than you know."_

_"For some reason, I can't help it with you," Peyton told him, her voice barely audible._

_"And why's that?" Lucas asked._

_She didn't get to answer as the sky opened up and the rain started to pour down. They were soaked within moments, and the two scrambled up._

_"Lucas- it's like a mile back to the car!" Peyton yelled over the rain._

_"Then let's get going," he yelled back, grabbing her hand and pulling her forward._


	8. New Roommate and Dan's Story

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews:) Finally some LP and NH in the same update!**

**continuing the flashback from Charleston...**

_"Oh my god!" Peyton exclaimed as she slammed her door shut against the rain._

_Lucas did the same on the other side of her. He was laughing._

_"How is this funny!" Peyton asked him. "Look at me!" Her clothes were actually dripping, her makeup smudged, and her hair was almost perfectally straight. Lucas laughed again, earning himself a smack._

_Cold, Lucas found a sweatshirt in the back of his truck and threw it on himself. After he saw Peyton shivering, he took it off and gave it to her._

_"Thanks," she said as she pulled it over her head. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms._

_"It's going to rain," she said, mocking him. "Try it's going to torrential downpour."_

_"Do I look like a weatherman?" Lucas threw back at her, his teeth cattering._

_Peyton went to pull the sweatshirt back off. "Here- it's your sweatshirt-"_

_Lucas stopped her. "No, I gave it to you. I can deal."_

_Peyton gave him a smile. She opened up the mirror above her head and groaned. As she was trying to fix her hair, Lucas remembered something. "You never answered my question."_

_"What question," Peyton asked, knowing what question he was talking about. She thought the rain had saved her from replying._

_"Why you can't help opening up with me."_

_Peyton played with the ties of the hood on his sweatshirt. She bit her lip. "I don't know," she replied truthfully."It just.. happens."_

_Lucas nodded, smiling slightly. "We should get going," he said as he started up the car._

_"Yeah," she replied, nervous suddenly for some reason._

_It had been a quiet ride home._

**end flashback**

XOXXOXOXXOXOXOXXOXOXOXXOXOXOXX

Bringing herself back to the dinner, Peyton cleared her throat, earning a look from Lucas. She shrugged her shoulders at him but he continued to look at her strangely.

"Haley," Peyton spoke into the silence of the table. "I was thinking."

"Okay.." Haley said slowly as she looked at her sideways from her seat. "About what?"

"I have two bedrooms in my apartment, and I was going to find a roommate... but since you're looking for an apartment... I was wondering if you'd like to stay with me? You'd be out of their hair-" she nodded towards Lucas and Brooke "- and I don't mind you coming and going at all hour of the day and-"

"Peyton, I'd love to," Haley cut her off from her rantings.

"Really?" Peyton asked surprised.

"Yeah.. I'm getting real tired of the married people and it would be nice to get to know you again."

Peyton smiled widely. "Very cool."

* * *

Later that night, Peyton and Nathan were helping Haley haul her stuff into Peyton's apartment. Nathan kept looking evily at Peyton because she had made him help, but Peyton couldn't help herself. It was too amusing of an opportunity to pass up. 

"That's the last trip for tonight, I guess," Haley said coming out of her new room. "Everything I need for tommorrow is here, so we can lug the rest in here later."

Peyton nodded. "Good, cause it is getting late," she said as she glanced at a clock. "I've got work early..."

"Oh and I have to go," Haley muttered, looking at the clock. Peyton noticed a look pass between Haley and Nathan. Peyton raised her eyebrows.

"Where could you possibly be going at 12:30 at night? Work?"

"Yes, actually. Have warm-ups for my show tommorrow," she said as she ran in her room to get her guitar.

"At 12:30?"

Haley nodded vigorously. "I love the hours, really."

"Okay, I'll see ya tommorrow," Peyton told her. This was going to take some getting used to.

Nathan stretched and yawned. "And I really should get going. I have those things called classes early in the morning."

Haley was already at the door. "By the way Peyton, since your house is my house, my car is now your car," she told Peyton with a grin. "Just don't crash it, I've seen you drive."

"Bye, Haley." Peyton told her, grinning back. "And bye Nathan."

Nathan headed towards the door directly following Haley. He waved back at Peyton, shutting the door.

Peyton sunk into her couch tiredly, taking note in the fact that Nathan always seemed to leave somewhere at the same time as Haley. She got ready and headed into bed for the night.

XOXOXXOXOXXOXOXOXXOXOXOXX

The next morning, Peyton found Haley at the table, eating some kind of meal. Peyton wasn't quite sure what it was.

"You don't have any coffee," Haley said as she walked into the room. Peyton saw that she could barely keep her eyes open.

"Good morning to you too," Peyton responded, laughing slightly at Haley's appearance. "Late night?"

"Mmm. Try never went to bed."

"Well then you should be sleeping, not eating."

"I was hungry," Haley managed to mutter.

Peyton laughed again. "I've missed you, Haley."

"Me too."

Peyton had been itching to ask her a question since last night. Maybe since she was half asleep, she might supply Peyton with an answer instead of skirting around the question.

"Haley, I have a question for you. I've been wanting to ask you and I think I need to before I go crazy."

"Okay, shoot," Haley said as she joined Peyton on the couch.

"What happened... between you and Nathan?"

Haley looked a little more awake now. "That's quite a question, Peyton."

"I know. And if you don't want to talk about it-"

"No, I'll talk about it. It's just a big answer."

"Okay," Peyton said eagerly. "Start with the night you came back. What happened at the hospital that night?"

Haley laughed at Peyton's excitement. "Okay.."

**start flashback**

_Nathan, Deb and Haley entered the hospital, Deb rushing to the front desk to ask about Dan. Haley glanced awkwardly at Nathan, biting her lip. Nathan wouldn't look at her. He looked dazed. Haley tentatively reached up her hand to his arm. She layed it there for a second, but then Nathan pulled his arm away from her._

_Deb came rushing back to them just then. "He's in the operating room right now," she told the two, her voice breathless. "He might not make it, Nate."_

_"What's wrong with him?" Nathan asked, speaking for the first time since getting in the car to come to the hospital._

_"His office was on fire. No one knows why he didn't leave it or anything. The police said that they're investigating it. He's being treated for severe burns and smoke inhalation. And with his heart, that's not a good thing."_

_Nathan nodded, looking overwhelmed._

_"Let's sit," Deb suggested. "You need anything Nathan? Haley?" Nathan shook his head, while Haley said no thanks._

_They settled into their chairs just as Lucas walked into the lobby where the other three were._

_"What happened?" Lucas asked as he spotted Deb and Nathan. Nathan glared at him, still angry at him. His eyes continued on to Haley. "Haley?"_

_Haley smiled sadly in greeting as Deb explained the situation again to Lucas. After she was finished, Lucas let out a breath and sat himself down next to Haley._

_"What are you doing here?" he asked Haley under his breath. Haley glanced at Nathan._

_"I- uh- I think I am going to get something. Anyone else want anything?" she asked, looking at Lucas._

_"Oh- yeah. I'll come with ya to get..it though," he said as the two got up, heading in the direction of the cafeteria. It was weird how well all of them had come to know this hospital._

_"So what's going on," Lucas pushed. "I thought you said you weren't coming home."_

_Haley pushed out a sigh. "I didn't think I was," she said slowly. "But after writing that essay... and talking to you... and to Chris-"_

_"Wait- to Chris? What did that guy have to say to you?" he asked, his voice colder._

_"Lucas, I know that you don't like him, but he came to be my friend through all of this. There's nothing between us but friendship- like you and me."_

_Lucas paused in the hallway to look at her. He saw her running make-up, the circles under her eyes. "You look awful, Haley."_

_"Yeah, thanks," she replied with a laugh as they continued walking. "Anyways," she continued. "After all that.. I realized something. And I can't believe it took me that long to do so."_

_"What did you realize," Lucas asked, knowing that it obviously had something to do with Nathan._

_"That I didn't want to sign the annulment papers."_

_"Then why did you?"_

_Haley was silent for a second. "I guess I thought that if he signed them, then I should let him go. That I left, and if he didn't want me anymore, it was the right thing to do- to finish it, to set him free. Then I could focus on music and he could move on."_

_"Then why are you here?"_

_Haley took a sip from her newly poured coffee. "I'm not ready to let go," she said simply. "But I think he already has."_

_Lucas shook his head. "No he hasn't, Haley," he said as Haley's eyes lit up with a new hope. "Trust me. I think he's just mad."_

_Haley nodded. "Thanks, Luke."_

_Lucas pulled her into a one armed hug. "It's good to see you again, Hales."_

_"You too," she said into his chest, knowing that she probably wasn't back for good. She never would be._

_Haley and Lucas found their way back to where Deb and Nathan were seated. Deb had dissolved into tears while Nathan's face had turned more pale than it was when they left. His eyes were on the floor, his head in his hands. Sensing something had happened, Lucas' own face hardened._

_"What happened?" he asked in Deb's direction, his voice quiet._

_"He's dead," came the answer, not from Deb. Nathan lifted his head up to look Lucas in the face. "Dan's dead."_


	9. A Different Complicated

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews...more are always welcome, so just take a quick second and drop a comment every now and then. Thanks :)**

As Haley came to this part of the story, Peyton heard a knock at her door. Annoyed with the interruption, Peyton got up from the couch and went to answer.

"Is this what you're wearing to work?" Brooke asked as she entered the room, eyeing her pajamas.

"Why are you here so early?" Peyton asked as she shut the door behind her.

"Peyton, it's not early. Look at the time." Brooke pointed towards the clock.

"How did it get to be that time?" Peyton asked as she ran into her bedroom to find something to wear.

Haley laughed from the couch, while Brooke rolled her eyes. "I'm giving you five minutes, P. Sawyer.

And five minutes later, Peyton was running out of the bathroom, shoes in her hand. "I can do everything in the car," she said mostly to herself. "Haley, do you need my keys or anything, I have to stop and get you a copy today.." Peyton asked her.

"Nah, I'm just gonna hang here. Get some sleep. I don't have to leave until later to get ready for the show."

Peyton nodded distractedly as she gathered her things to go. "Okay, let's go Brooke. Haley- you're finishing thestorylater," she demanded, pointing a finger at her.

The two headed out the door as Haley made her way to her bed.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Much later that night, Peyton, Brooke and Lucas found their seats in the club that Haley was playing at. She was due out soon, so Lucas ordered drinks for the three. Not expecting Nathan to show, Peyton figured she'd have to deal with being with Lucas and Brooke for the night. She was ready to move over to their table from her bar stool when Nathan appeared from out of no where and approached her.

"Hey," he said after he ordered a drink with his fake I.D..

"Didn't expect you to show," she told him as she took a swig from her own drink. He sat heavily in the seat next to her. Peyton noticed that his cheeks were flushed slightly. "Are you okay? You're all flushed."

Nathan rubbed a hand over his face. "Yeah... I'm uh- just a little warm that's all."

"Okay.." Peyton replied slowly. "Whatever you say, Nate."

Focused on their conversation, neither of them noticed Haley on the stage until she introduced herself into the microphone. Remaining in their seats at the bar, Peyton glanced at Nathan who was watching Haley intently. Peyton smiled slightly.

"What?" Nathan asked her, realizing her gaze.

"Nothing," Peyton supplied innocently.

Nathan's gaze went back to Haley. He sighed deeply. "I'm gonna need another drink. Maybe ten."

Peyton laughed.

About three more songs into Haley's set, Nathan had downed more shots than Peyton could count. He was swaying precariously on his chair as he ordered another.

Haley's song ended with a strum of the guitar and she grabbed the microphone excitedly. "Okay, now I will bring out my special guest to sing this next one with me. Everyone welcome Chris Keller!"

Peyton's mouth dropped slightly. "She's still working with him?"

Nathan nodded. Lucas and Brooke's heads had turned towards him, looks of concern on their faces. Nathan looked away from them, running a hand through his hair.

"Do you wanna go?" she asked him quietly. "I'll go with you."

Nathan shook his head. "No," he said stubbornly. "I'm going to be able to deal with this." Peyton got the feeling that this wasn't the first time that Chris had shown up at one of Haley's shows. Chris and Haley had started up their new duet on the stage as Peyton and Nathan were silent for a moment.

"Why do you come?" she asked him.

Nathan shrugged his shoulders. "Must be insane, I think," he answered with a drunken smile.

Peyton smiled as she took a drink from her glass. "Do you still love her?"

Nathan sighed heavily with the question. Hopefully he was drunk enough to supply the answer for her, even though Peyton knew that that was taking advantage of him.

"Yes."

Peyton nodded her head slowly. It was the answer she had expected. She could see it in his eyes every time she came into the room. "Then why aren't you together? I mean if you both care about the other, then why aren't you with each other? I don't get it."

"Ya know I could ask you the same thing, Peyton," he said with a nod of his head. She followed his gaze and saw Lucas staring at her. His arm was around Brooke, but his gaze was on her. As soon as she looked at him, he turned away quickly.

Peyton shook it off. "That's different, Nathan. It's more complicated than you and Haley."

Nathan shook his head. "It's a different complicated," he replied. "But it still is." He put his drink down on the table. "I've gotta get going," he said as he stood from the chair. With a wave at Lucas and Brooke, he was out the door.

OOOOOOOXXXOOOOOOOXXXOOOOOOO

Hours later that night, Nathan was in the living room area of his dorm suite.

"You are soo drunk," the girl sitting on the couch next to him said. "Maybe you need my coffee more than I do," she said as she held it out to him.

Nathan took a swig and handed it back over. "Happy?"

"Yes, actually," she quipped back.

Nathan claimed her lips in a slow, passionate kiss. They broke apart with smiles on their faces. She put down her drink onto the floor, giving her both hands to snuggle up to Nathan. She laid her head down on his chest, listening to his heart beat. Nathan had his arms around her, their hands clinging to each other.

"Are you ever going to tell anybody about me?" she asked him into the peaceful silence.

"Do you think it's time to tell?"

The girl was silent for a second. "I don't know."

"Then not yet," he told her. He kissed the top of her head through her hair. "I kinda like this sneaking around thing anyway."

The girl moved her head to look him in the eyes. "But that's not all this is, right?"

Nathan looked confused. "What?"

"This- us- isn't just about hiding and sneaking around, is it?", she asked him.

Nathan reached up a hand to her face. "You know the answer to that," he told her as he caressed her cheek with his hand.

The girl smiled. "Well I have to get back before my roommate gets suspicious."

The two got up and made their way to the door. The girl put her arms up around Nathan's neck. Nathan's hands went to her waist. They kissed goodnight and the two parted for the time being.

XOOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

A little while later that night, Haley let herself into the apartment, finding Peyton still awake watching the t.v..

"Hey, what are you still doing up," Haley asked her curiously.

"I'm not tired. Too many drinks," Peyton said with a laugh. "Where have you been?"

"Music stuff," Haley said shortly, earning herself a look from Peyton who raised her eyebrows. "Had to clean up, some magazine wanted an interview..." Haley continued without making eye contact with Peyton.

Peyton nodded. "So... you and Chris are still playing together, huh?"

Haley nodded and sat on the couch next to Peyton, taking a sip of the coffee in her hand. "Do I have to do the 'me and Chris are just friends' talk again? Because we are just friends. He's got a girl of his own anyway that he's always bragging about."

"Ya know Nathan seemed upset that he was there.."

Haley shrugged. "I can't help that," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"I think it's storytelling time again, Haley."

"Peyton!"

"Come on- the suspense is killing me!" Peyton whined. "Please?"

"Fine," Haley said as she shook her head. "Nothing else important happened that night though. I kinda left Nathan alone and then I went home with Lucas to stay."

"Start at the funeral, then!" Peyton told her.

"You're a little too excited about this, Peyton. Plus you were there!" Haley said with a laugh.

"Well come on! It's been years since I've got to hear all this Tree Hill drama. I miss it," she said with a laugh herself. "Just humor me."

"Okay.."

_start flashback_

_The rain poured on like at any typical funeral in a movie. Haley watched as they lowered Dan Scott into the ground. To both of her sides were the sons of the man. Haley glanced at Lucas, whose face was stiff and eyes a darker color than usual. Haley looked to his other side where Peyton stood. He was squeezing her hand in his. Now, Haley looked at Nathan. His face was pale, but expressionless. Refusing an umbrella, his suit and hair were now soaked, and he was shivering slightly. She moved over a foot or so, so that her own umbrella now covered his head. He tore his eyes off of the scene in front of him to look at Haley. She saw the hurt on his face and her own eyes watered with unshed tears. To her surprise, Nathan took her free hand in his, giving it a tight squeeze. Haley squeezed in back, a tear released down her face. Maybe they still had a chance._

_That night, Haley found Nathan alone in his room. His door was open, but she knocked anyways, not sure that she was welcome._

_Nathan looked up from his bed. "Hey," he said, his voice soft._

_"Can I come in," Haley asked just as quietly._

_Nathan nodded. "Yeah.. yeah of course."_

_Haley took a few, slow steps into his room. She lingered in the middle of it, twisting her hands. "How are you?" she asked him tentatively._

_Nathan's eyes focused themselves onto the floor. "Truthfully... I don't know, Haley."_

_Haley bit her lip. "For what it's worth, I am sorry, Nathan. I know that you weren't always pleased with your father.. but he was still your dad. I know that he meant a lot to you."_

_Nathan's eyes locked with hers as he rose off the bed. Their gazes held until Nathan reached her. Haley was shocked as he put her arms around her, taking her into a tight hug. Moments later, she had her own arms around him, burying her head in his chest. She felt his body shudder as she felt the tears fall onto her head. Haley only hugged him tighter in response. He pulled himself away from her suddenly, wiping at his face to clear the tears. Backing away from her quickly, he sat back onto his bed._

_The hurt from his quick release must have shown on her face, because Nathan sighed heavily. "We should talk- about us."_

_"Not now, Nathan. You can have a couple of days to figure things out. I'll stay out of your way," Haley said in a choked voice._

_"I want to now," Nathan insisted. "I'm leaving tomorrow, Haley. For High-Flyers."_

_"You're going to High-Flyers?"_

_Nathan nodded and sniffed. "Yeah, I am. I think I need to go."_

_"I do too."_

_They lapsed into silence for a moment, neither Nathan nor Haley quite sure how to proceed._

_"I'm glad you're here," Nathan started earnestly, earning a slight smile from Haley. "Come sit," he told her, motioning to the bed._

_Haley came over to him slowly, lowering herself onto the bed softly. "I'm sorry."_

_Nathan shook his head. "No, Haley, I understand why you did it. I get it. You had to follow your dreams. We both do. Me with basketball and you with your music."_

_Haley nodded. "So where does that leave us?"_

_"Before you left, I told you we were done if you went. I didn't mean it though and at that point I couldn't understand why you left," Nathan said as he ran his fingers over the now empty stop on the finger where the wedding ring used to be. Haley noticed for the first time that he wasn't wearing it._

_"It wasn't because of you, Nathan. And it wasn't because of Chris."_

_Nathan sighed. "And I think on some level I knew that... I was just looking for some excuse... some reason why you would leave me."_

_Haley swallowed. "I still really don't understand why I did it myself, Nathan. Part of me knew that the tour was a once in a lifetime chance, the opportunity to start fulfilling my dream... and another part of me was scared."_

_"Scared of what?" Nathan asked her, catching contact with her eyes._

_"Us."_

_"I don't get it," Nathan told her as he shook his head._

_"Nathan, we got married in our junior year of high school. My feelings overwhelmed me so much that I allowed us to do something like that-"_

_"Something like what," Nathan asked her, his voice rising. Haley bit her lip and Nathan realized he knew what she was going for. "You think our marriage was a mistake. The tour was a way for you to get out of it," he said slowly, his voice cold. He got off of the bed and stood in the middle of the room._

_Haley couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her face. "I don't think that you and I are a mistake though. Just the marriage."_

_"Haley, you and I had the same relationship whether we were married or not!"_

_"I know," she admitted. "I made a mistake, Nathan. A huge one, I know."_

_Nathan was silent for a second. "Then why did you sign the annulment papers?"_

_"Because you had. And... I wanted you to be free from me. To live your own life."_

_Nathan scoffed. "Then why are you here, Haley? Just tell me, if there's nothing here for you, then why are you back?"_

_Haley sniffed, searching for the words. "For you, Nathan. I realized I didn't want to let you go.. not yet. I still love you.. so much that it's overwhelming sometimes."_

_Nathan's mouth formed a thin line. "I can't go back to the way that things were before, Haley." He ran a hand through his dark, messy hair. "I mean you being here- you're still going to be giving up your dream. The tour is still going on."_

_"But I'm here now, even with the tour. I chose you, Nathan. Not the music." She rose to her feet herself, going to stand in front of him._

_"You're too late," Nathan told her, his voice barely above a whisper._

_More tears fell from Haley's eyes. She knew that she had lost him now._

_"I- uh- I think we need to focus on ourselves for now," Nathan spoke as he tried to ignore Haley's tears. He hated seeing her cry. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her, for everything to go back to how it was before. "On our wedding day," Nathan began, "I told you that I would love you forever, Haley. I still stand with that. I think I will... but I also think you're right about the marriage."_

_Haley's eyes showed their shock at that statement as Nathan continued. "We need to find out who we are separately. I don't want to grow apart from you like my- like my parents did. I think we need to follow our dreams, accomplish our goals... and if we have to do that separately, than so be it."_

_Haley nodded. "So then what are we doing? Are we still married, or what?"_

_Nathan's eyes met hers. "I think that should be up to you."_

_"Nathan-"_

_"I'm not asking for a decision now," he said while he shook his head once. "Let's do this- go back to the tour. I come back from camp one week before school starts. If you want to have your marriage with me, then come back here. Come back home."_

_Haley considered it for a moment. "Okay."_

_"And if you don't come home... then I'll hand in the annulment papers myself. I'll sign them for real and do it myself. Then you won't have anything to hold you back from the rest of your life."_

_Haley took a deep breath and nodded. "Fine," she told him, not sure if she was happy or mad about what he was telling her._

_"And you know this isn't another ultimatum right?" he asked her quickly._

_"Yeah. Yeah, I understand, Nathan."_

_Haley was now incredibly uncomfortable in his presence. "I guess I'll go then," she said as she moved towards the door. "Have fun at camp. I'm glad you get to go."_

_Nathan gave her a small smile. "Thanks."_

_Haley got to the doorway and turned around to face him. "I love you, Nathan," she whispered._

_Nathan tried to read her face. Would she come back or not? At least he got a good-bye this time, he thought. "Good-bye, Haley."_

_Haley nodded once and walked out of his room. Maybe out of his life forever. Nathan waited a few moments. "I love you too," he said to the empty room. Little did he know that Haley had heard him as she paused outside his door. More tears fell as she left his house, possibly for the last time._

_end flashback_


	10. Pacey and Joey

**A/N: Please review if you're gonna take the time to read. Thanks:)**

"Wow," Peyton said softly.

Haley nodded. "I didn't come back at the end of the summer."

"Why?" Peyton asked, the disbelief evident in her voice.

"I thought that Nathan and I would never be the same. That I would be giving up my dream for a dead relationship." Haley was silent with thought for a moment. "So we aren't married anymore... And I regret it every time I see him."

Peyton nodded slowly. "So you still have those feelings for him or.."

Haley laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I do. It's stupid, I know, but I can't seem to forget what we had... what we could have been."

Peyton got a far-off look in her eyes. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

Haley looked at her surprised. "You and Jake?"

"How'd you know about me and Jake?" Peyton asked, trying to avoid the question.

"Oh- Lucas," Haley told her like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "So you still have feelings for him or what?"

"Who- Lucas?" Peyton asked, slightly panicy.

"No- Jake. Why would you still have feelings for Lucas?" Haley asked, confused.

"I- uh- I wouldn't. No, I don't still have feelings for Jake. They faded, he never came back. I moved on," she said simply.

"So then who can't you forget?"

Peyton opened her mouth and then shut it again. She faked a yawn. "I think it's time for bed now," she said as she rose from the couch.

Haley grabbed her wrist bringing her back down. "Okay- what happened between you and Lucas?"

"What did happen between me and Lucas?" she asked innocently.

"Don't pull that with me," Haley told her. "If you keep avoiding something, then it obviously has something to do with Lucas. Do you think I'm blind? I see the way you two look at each other."

Peyton sighed. "Things got complicated."

"How," Haley pushed, just like Peyton had about her and Nathan.

"Like we started up the 'Bestfriend Death Love Triangle' again."

"Hmm. Lucas seemed to leave that out of our phone calls. And let's guess that you still have feelings for him?"

"That obvious?" Peyton asked. "I used to be so good at hiding my feelings. What happened?"

"Someone broke that down. Opened you up for all of us to see," Haley told her. "Someone named Lucas."

Peyton groaned, running a hand through her curls.

"Let's go to bed," Haley said as she grabbed Peyton's hand. "I think we've both had enough for tonight."

They both said their goodnights, and Peyton entered her bedroom, shutting the door. Still having an alcohol buzz, Peyton wasn't tired. Flipping on the t.v., Peyton surfed through the channels until she stumbled across the show Dawson's Creek. A smile played across her face as she remembered the last time she had seen this show.

**start flashback**

_Peyton was sitting on the floor in front of the television when she heard her door open and shut. She didn't even look to see who it was, because, first of all she knew who it was, and second of all, nothing was going to make her look away from the screen._

_"Hey, Peyton what are you-"_

_Peyton sushed him quickly, motioning for him to sit down beside her._

_Moments later, a commercial came on. She turned to Lucas. "Okay, you can speak now."_

_Lucas raised his eyebrows. "Oh are you sure?"_

_"Yes. It's a commercial."_

_"And what are you watching that's so important?" Lucas asked her as he took his seat next to her on the floor._

_"Brooke called me this morning. Told me there was a Dawson's Creek marathon on."_

_"So..?" Lucas asked her, obviously not aware of the greatness of that sentence._

_"So! Dawson's Creek is only like the best show ever made!"_

_"I thought it ended years ago," Lucas asked her._

_"It did. But it's still my favorite show," Peyton told him with a smile as Lucas rolled his eyes at her. "Brooke and I used to watch it every week together. We'd get popcorn and sit here for an hour every week. It was a ritual of some sort."_

_Lucas nodded. "So I'm guessing we're not going to the movies today?"_

_"Oh- that was today, wasn't it? I completely forgot, Lucas."_

_"Uh-ha. It's good to know this Dawson guy comes before me," he told her, faking a pout._

_"I thought that was always known," Peyton shot back, earning herself a frown from Lucas. "Sorry, though. We can always go tomorrow," she offered._

_Lucas looked like he was thinking for a second. "I guess that's exceptable."_

_"Good, 'cause I'm not moving. It's on until two in the morning."_

_Lucas groaned at that as the show came back on. "Silence," Peyton commanded._

_Although she had expected Lucas to leave, he stayed with her on his spot on the floor._

_Five hours later, empty bowls of popcorn sat on the floor next to the two. The credits came on before the start of the next one. "Okay", Lucas said quickly. "Time for a popcorn refill." He grabbed the bowls and ran into the kitchen._

_"There's got to be something else other than popcorn," Peyton yelled to him._

_"Well it's your house! Is there or not?" Lucas yelled back ._

_Peyton got off the floor to join him in the kitchen._

_"Hurry, we can't miss the beginning of the next one," Lucas told her as he opened up cabinets._

_Peyton crossed her arms and watched him with a smirk on her face. As he noticed her stance, he stopped moving. "What?" he asked. "You're wasting time!"_

_"I think you're more into this show than I am, Luke," she told him, her eyes lit up with laughter._

_Lucas ed his head to one side and made a face at her. "Well it's a good show. And it's your fault- you're the one who made me watch it," he tried in defense._

_Peyton smiled. "Sure, Lucas."_

_Lucas approached her and playfully shoved her on his way to the fridge. He passed back in front of her and Peyton stuck out her foot to trip him. It was a successful trip as Lucas was caught off guard and started to fall towards the ground. What wasn't so successful was that Lucas grabbed her arm as he fell. Peyton let out a shriek as they both tumbled towards the ground. Lucas landed on his back, pulling Peyton down on top of him with a thud._

_Peyton's mouth was open with shock as she lifted her free hand to smack him. "You-"_

_Lucas grabbed her hand before she could smack him. Now he was holding both of her hands. Peyton stopped struggling when she noticed the position she was laying in on top of him. Her stomach was pressed against his own, one of her legs between the two of his. Their hands were now clasped even with Lucas' head on the floor. Her face was above, yet even with his. She couldn't help but look into his captivating blue eyes. Beneath her, she felt the rate of Lucas' breathing increase. But she couldn't look away from those eyes. Memories from the day in the motel room washed over the two as they lay one on top of the other. From the other room, she heard the Dawson's Creek theme song. Peyton blinked rapidly and looked away and in the direction of the living room._

_"The show's back on," Peyton stated in a whisper._

_Lucas cleared his throat. "Yeah." Lucas released her hands._

_Coming back to herself, Peyton got off of him, fixing her clothes. Lucas did the same next to her. Peyton was determined not to look at him._

_"I'll- uh- I'll find something to eat. You can go back to the show, I'll be right there," he told her as he started his search in the cupboards again._

_"Okay," Peyton said as she headed back to her the living room. She sat on the couch this time. She let out a deep breath, trying to shake the feelings that had just tried to overwhelm her. She thought she was over Lucas. Apparently not, she thought to herself._

_In the kitchen, Lucas had stopped his search and was leaning on one of the counters, his eyes closed, trying to calm himself. He re-entered the living room a few minutes later._

_"I found some chips," he said as he put them on the table in front of the couch. He then sat himself down on the couch leaving an amount of space between them._

_"What no dip?" Peyton asked him._

_So they were going to pretend that nothing had happened. Nothing was weird between them, Lucas thought._

_"Hey- you're the provider of the house."_

_"That's a scary thought," Peyton said. "The funny thing is, I never thought of it that way."_

_Lucas met her eyes. She looked sad. "Speaking of, where had your father been lately? I thought he was taking local jobs?"_

_"He is- but the 'local' one he took this time is for a month. I guess local doesn't mean short, does it?"_

_Lucas shook his head. "Sorry."_

_"Yeah, I'm used to it."_

_But Lucas could tell that she was still upset by it. He was watching her as the show came back from the commercial._

_"Oh- this is one of my favorites."_

_Lucas diverted his attention back to t.v., away from Peyton. Happy that his eyes were off of her, Peyton opened the chip back and grabbed a few, offering the bag to Lucas. Smiling, Lucas took it from her and pulled out his own handful._

_A few hours later, Peyton was lying on the couch, curled up so that Lucas still had room to sit next to her._

_"Getting tired of this yet?" Peyton asked him curiously, blinking her own eyes tiredly._

_Lucas stretched and winced as his back cracked. "Nah," Lucas said. "Little tired of you, though."_

_"Oh yeah?"_

_"Yeah."_

_Peyton stretched her legs out so that they were on top of him. Seeing the opportunity, Lucas tickled one of her feet. Peyton's legs drew back quickly and she bit back the laugher. "Okay, fine," she said. "Use tickling as a weapon, cheater."_

_Lucas laughed. "You look tired," he noted. "I don't think you're going to make it to the end," he teased._

_"Yes I will," Peyton told him drowsily, even though Lucas could see that her eyes were already closed._

_Lucas smiled slightly. "Obviously," he said as he rose from the couch._

_"Where are you going, I thought you were going to stay?" Peyton asked slowly, her eyes still closed._

_"I am," Lucas told her, amused. "I'm just going to the bathroom."_

_"Mmm," was Peyton's response._

_Shaking his head, Lucas made his trip to the bathroom. When he returned, Peyton was actually asleep. He simply watched her for a moment, making note of the peaceful look on her face. Lucas looked around the room and found a blanket on the armchair across the room. Getting it, he laid it down on her softly, making sure it covered all of her. Gently, Lucas sat himself down on his spot of the couch. Turning down the television so it didn't wake her, Lucas turned his attention to the show._

_Hours later, almost near the end of the marathon, Lucas' own eyes were drooping from sleep. Already half asleep, Lucas laid himself down on the couch in back of Peyton. Good thing she was skinny, he thought has he wedged into the space that Peyton had left between herself and the back of the chair. Peyton moved slightly and mumbeled something in her sleep, but did not wake. Satisfied and comfortable, Lucas closed his tired eyes and drifted off to sleep._

_Then next morning, Peyton's eyes fluttered open, and she was immediately blinded by the bright sun coming in through the windows. She screwed up her face against the light, wondering why, when never before was there sun in her face when she woke up in her bed. As her eyes focused, Peyton realized that she wasn't in her bed. In front of her, the television was still on. She was lying on her stomach on the couch still, with a blanket on her that she knew wasn't there before. Groaning, she stretched and started when she felt something move on her back. Looking around quickly, she saw Lucas waking up from her movements, his hand was on her back. Seeing her stare, he smiled tiredly and moved his hand quickly._

_"Good morning," he said in greeting._

_Peyton tried not to think of the fact that she had wanted to hear that out of his mouth so many times before, but in different circumstances obviously. " 'Morning," she replied with her own smile. "Looks like I didn't make it through the marathon after all, huh?"_

_Peyton got herself off the couch, trying to calm her mass of curls down._

_On the couch still, Lucas sat himself up, shaking the slumber off. He was faking his own sleep when she had woken up. Even though he had put his hand on her back while he was sleeping, he hadn't moved it when he woke. The same feeling had come over him as every time he touched her lately. The same excited feeling in his stomach, the same aching desire to do more than touch her. And he knew he couldn't. It was getting to be too much, and Lucas knew that he had to learn some kind of self control soon, or he was going to ruin his renewed friendship with Peyton once again._

_"Luke?" he heard Peyton's voice ask._

_"Hmm?" Lucas said as he snapped out of his thoughts._

_"I just asked you if you made it to the end?"_

_"No... I think I fell asleep during the one where Jen is dying and everybody comes back.."_

_Peyton nodded. "That was the last episode of the show."_

_Lucas' eyes widened. "I didn't get to see who Joey picked- Pacey or Dawson," he blurted._

_Peyton raised her eyebrows and held back her laughter. "Who do you think she picked?"_

_"Well it's obvious that she picked Pacey."_

_Peyton stopped trying to put her hair into a ponytail and looked at him strangely. "Why's that obvious," she asked him._

_"Because they were meant to be. She was his first love and she sacfriced her friendship with Dawson to be with him."_

_"After Dawson's persmission, of course," Peyton reminded him. "That way their friendship really wasn't ruined."_

_"True. But I think they would have been together anyways, in the end."_

_They both got the feeling that they weren't talking about the show anymore. Peyton connected what he was talking about to real life. Peyton was Joey, having to pick between hurting her friendship with Brooke, in this case Dawson, and the boy she loved, Pacey, possibly in this case Lucas. At least that had been the situation between the three of them. Was it again?_

_"Well, I guess that's how it works out on a television show," she replied._

_Lucas nodded, looking oddly distracted. "It's not reality," he stated._

_Peyton nodded herself. "I'm going to take a shower," she decided and she disappeared up the stairs before either one of them said another word._

**end flashback**

Peyton woke the next morning with a major headache. Groaning, Peyton got grudgingly out of her bed and stumbled into the bathroom where she found the Advil for her headache. She looked in the mirror and almost laughed at her reflection. Not a good look for her, she decided. Not even bothering to fix it, Peyton made her way slowly into the living room and stopped short.

"What are you doing here?" Peyton asked the figure on her couch.

"Came to ask you something," Lucas replied. "Nice hair by the way," he added with a smirk.

"How did you even get it here?" Peyton asked, ignoring his last remark.

"Grumpy too," he added. "Haley let me in."

As though taking that as her cue, Haley walked back into the room not only fully dressed, but fully awake. Seeing the look being directed towards her from Peyton, Haley made an attempt to smile at her. Peyton rolled her eyes and Haley shrugged her shoulders innocently.

Peyton let out a sigh. "Okay.. what do you want to ask me," she asked Lucas as she folded her arms over her chest.

"Well I was wondering if you'd let me take you out to breakfast this morning," he asked her, a hopeful expression on his face.

"Breakfast?" Peyton asked. The last time the two of them had been left alone together they had gotten into an argument.

Sensing the tension rising, Haley excused herself quickly from the room. Lucas waited until she was gone to speak again. "It's just breakfast," Lucas replied calmly. "We can't argue in a public place. I just want to... lessen the tension we've got going on. Just have a normal meal like we used to."

Peyton thought it over in her head, sadly enough finding nothing wrong with what he was asking. Lucas watched as the hard expression on her face faded, and she let a slight smile through. "Okay. Breakfast."

An hour later, Peyton and Lucas were seated in Lucas' car on their way to a resturant of his choosing. Trying not to regret this decision, Peyton continued her thoughts from the night before, which just happened to involve a breakfast themselves...

**Please review!**


	11. Breakfast X 2

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! This is all LP..so enjoy :) And please review!**

_**start flashback**_

_Peyton came out of the shower, her hair dripping wet. She ran a towel through it as she made her way down the stairs. She started to smell eggs and heard the sounds of cooking half way down and entered the kitchen to an unfamiliar sight. There were two plates set out on the table and food cooking on the stove. Lucas was hovering over one of the pans when he heard her come in the room._

_"Hey," he said as she entered the room. "Care for a little food? Other than chips and popcorn, of course."_

_"You made me breakfast?" Peyton asked, her voice full of her disbelief._

_"Yeah. I have recently acquired the talent seeing as though I have to fend for myself now that my mother is gone."_

_Peyton's mouth was still half open in her shock. He's making me breakfast, she thought. "You made me breakfast?" she repeated, the awe showing in her voice._

_Lucas nodded with a huge smile. "Why is that so surprising?"_

_"It's just- no one's ever done that for me before, well besides my father of course... but it's different."_

_Lucas couldn't help the grin that formed on his face. He scooped up the food and brought it over to the two plates._

_"You're just on time too," Lucas added as he pulled the seat out for her at the table._

_Peyton put the towel down on the counter and took her seat with a thank you._

_**pause flashback**_

Peyton was picking at the food in front of her, not really all that hungry.

Lucas was watching her. "Are you okay? Do you not like the food here?"

Peyton started, being pulled from her thoughts. "No- the food is wonderful, I'm just not really all that hungry."

"Oh," Lucas replied. The meal really wasn't going all that well so far. Uncomfortable silence filled the time between the small talk. Lucas put down his fork with a loud clank, causing Peyton to look at him."What's wrong, Peyton? And the truth, please," he added sternly.

Peyton put her own fork down, but a little softer. "It's just... this is weird, isn't it?", she asked him. "Three years later, with the way we left things... we really don't know each other anymore, do we?"

"I know," Lucas replied softly, all edge gone from his voice. "And I don't want it to be that way. That's why I invited you today."

Peyton didn't reply to that causing Lucas to sigh. "I called you, ya know," Peyton said softly, staring at her plate. "The first week I was gone, I called like four times."

"I know," Lucas replied, causing Peyton to look up at him. Her beautiful hazel eyes searched his face. "I didn't answer you at first, because I was mad at you." He paused for a moment. "But the way I felt about you hadn't changed." Lucas ran a hand through his blonde hair. "I was going to call you.. but it felt weird with Brooke around. She was still under the impression that I had those strong feelings for her that I told her about before she left. We were together... but I didn't love her."

Peyton made a face, confused. "So then how did you end up marrying her?"

Lucas visibly swallowed. "Since Nathan still wouldn't talk to me when he came back, you and Haley were gone, the only thing to do was to spend time with her. I never called you back because I thought that if I forgot about you, then I would forget about my feelings for you... and move onto Brooke."

Peyton scoffed. "Do you know how wrong that sounds?"

"I knew it was wrong," Lucas told her. "But it worked in the end. I came to love her again."

Peyton didn't respond to him again, but she was shaking her head. "Speaking of Brooke, where is she this morning? Why aren't you eating with her?"

"She said she had work to do this morning."

"But it's Saturday. She doesn't have to work."

Lucas shrugged. "She said she had to."

"But Brooke- go to work when she doesn't have to? Doesn't that sound impossible to you?"

"Look- I don't know," Lucas said defensively. "She just said she had to go!"

Peyton stared at him for a moment, taking in his defensiveness on the topic. "Okay.. new subject."

_**continue flashback**_

_Lucas and Peyton were laughing as they finished up their meal._

_"You know, that wasn't half bad," Peyton told him. "I expected a disaster.. but it was really good."_

_"It's nice to know that you have such faith in my cooking skills," Lucas replied, a fake hint of hurt in his voice._

_"Isn't it?" she asked mockingly._

_Both finished, Peyton rose from her seat to take her plate over to the sink. "No," Lucas said as he rose from his own chair, taking the plate from her hand. "Sit back down," he ordered. Lucas brought the dish over to the sink as Peyton grudgingly sat back down._

_"You are not going to clean anything," Lucas told her._

_Peyton crossed her arms. "Not that I'm complaining, but there's like a hundred dishes there."_

_With a glance at the numerous dishes, Lucas made a face. "I can handle that," he replied stubbornly as he started up the water in the sink._

_Peyton rose from the chair. "At least let me rinse?" she asked._

_"Fine," Lucas allowed._

_Side by side, they started the huge pile of dishes that they had compiled over the past day._

_About half way through the pile, Peyton and Lucas had suds covering not only themselves, but a quarter of the kitchen. "Stop!" Peyton shrieked as she tried to cover her face from Lucas' attack._

_Lucas laughed and managed to get her. Peyton giggled uncontrollably as she fought back. "You know we're creating a bigger mess that you're going to have to clean, right?" she yelled at him. "And I won't help you with that!"_

_Lucas stopped his antics, looking around the kitchen. Peyton was grinning at him. "Well that worked."_

_She went to go get a towel from the other room and threw it at Lucas' head. Picking up her earlier discarded towel, Peyton attempted to get the suds off of her._

_Clean himself, Lucas took the towel from her hands to help her. He wiped her face softly, getting the spots that she had missed, including her hair. Peyton watched him, attempting to control her feelings when he was this close. Putting down the towel, Lucas used his fingers to remove the last bit. Peyton's heart beat jumped with his touch as his hand cupped her face gently. Her brought Peyton's face up to his slowly until they were centimeters apart. Peyton could feel his breath on her face as he looked into her eyes, like he was almost asking for her permission to do what he was about to do. Peyton came back to herself slightly. "We- we should really get this mess cleaned up," Peyton said suddenly. Lucas didn't pull away or release her face right away. "Luke?"_

_Lucas broke the moment and pulled away from her. "Yeah, we should."_

_Peyton couldn't help but see how upset he looked as he stepped backwards. Closing her eyes, Peyton said, "I'll take care of the mess, Lucas. You can go home."_

_Lucas shook his head stubbornly. "No, I told you I'd do it." Peyton couldn't help but notice the coldness to his voice. He wouldn't look at her either._

_Peyton opened her mouth to say something back, but thought better of it and closed it. Without a word, she turned around and left the room. Seeing she was gone, Lucas stopped trying to do the dishes and looked to the place where she had just stood. Thanks to his lack of control, Lucas knew that things wouldn't be the same between him and Peyton now. The easiness of their friendship was over._

_**pause flashback**_

Lucas dropped Peyton off back at home. Peyton had actually enjoyed herself, but deep down she had known that she would. Putting her keys in the door, Peyton heard voices from inside the apartment. Pausing, Peyton wondered if she had left the tv on. Maybe Haley had, she thought. But she was still uneasy as she opened the door, knowing that Haley had gone to work today. She flipped on the lights to see someone on her couch.

**Please review! Up next...who's on the couch? What happens next with the 'past LP'? **


	12. Hidden Under the Cushions

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I love them :) Suprisingly..no one guessed who was on the couch..lol. At least I don't think so. Feel free to correct me if I am mistaken lol. This is shorter than usual..but it accomadates a flashback so..enjoy! And please keep reviewing! **

"Haley?" Peyton asked, a hand over her heart that was beating widly.

Haley was lying stomach down on the couch and popped her head up when Peyton closed the door. Peyton saw that the tv was on, explaining the voices. Haley got off of the couch and came around it to greet Peyton when she came in the door.

"Hey," Haley said in an unusually high voice. She wiped at the corner of her mouth. "How was breakfast? You're back earlier than I thought you would be."

"Breakfast was fine," Peyton replied slowly. "Why are you here, Haley? I thought you had work?"

"I-um... didn't have to go in?" Haley said, sounding more like a question than an answer.

"Okay, what's going on?" Peyton asked.

"Nothing," Haley answered quickly. "I thought that since I had the day off... then I could show you around the city a little."

Peyton watched her curiously for another moment. "Sure," Peyton responded slowly again.

"Okay, good. Just let me grab my coat," Haley said as she headed towards her room. "You head out to the car- here's my keys", she said as she grabbed her car keys and threw them to Peyton.

Haley disappeared into her bedroom.

"I just have to go to the bathroom," Peyton said as she started to move forward into the room more.

"No!" Haley yelled as she came running into the room. Peyton stopped walking. "We can stop somewhere along the way. Why waste time here?"

"Haley, that's ridiculous." Peyton said. "What is going on?"

Haley bit her lip and looked towards the couch. From her position, Peyton could not see anything wrong with the couch, but then again she couldn't see the cusions either. "What's wrong with the couch?"

Haley shook her head and let out a groan. "Just get up," she said towards the couch.

Peyton's mouth dropped as she saw what, or should she say who, was lying on her couch.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Lucas was pouring over his books attempting to finish his homework when Brooke let herself in the house. She came in the house and went to give Lucas a kiss in greeting. Lucas turned his head so she kissed his cheek instead. Brooke pulled back, a look on her face.

"What's the matter?"

"How was work?" Lucas asked her.

"Fine," she replied. "Why?"

"I was just asking," Lucas said, a quip to his voice.

"Okay.." Brooke said slowly. "What's wrong with you," she asked again.

"Nothing..." he said. This was a lie and he knew. Lucas was actually suspicious of her at the moment. Peyton was right- why would Brooke voluntarily go to work if she didn't have to?

Brooke shrugged her shoulders. "Alright," she said. She looked over his books with a frown on her face. "This what you've been doing all morning?"

"No," Lucas said. "I just started. I took Peyton to breakfast this morning."

Brooke made a small frown at that too, but recovered quickly. "Oh. We'll that's fine, you're friends. Friends do that."

Lucas nodded. "Yes they do," he told her, his eyes on his work.

Brooke suppressed a sigh at his lack of attention. She placed her hands on his shoulders, squeezing them slightly. "Why don't you... take a break?" she asked him in her most sultry voice she could manage. "We can go in the other room... have a little fun... how 'bout it?"

Lucas' suspicion lingered, but he gave into her anyway. He couldn't resist Brooke, and he knew that he never would be able to. But Peyton's name popped into his head as Brooke took his hand to lead him to the bedroom. Shaking his head profusing, he rid himself of her image and shut the door behind them.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"How did this happen?" Peyton asked the two people now standing in front of her guiltily.

They looked at each other with a smile.

**A/N: Kinda boring, I know. But..yea. Sorry for the B/L. It grossed me out a bit to write it..but I got some LP in there so..lol. PLEASE review!**


	13. Baby Steps and A Giant Leap

**A/N: I am amazed at the number of reviews am I getting for this story now..when things started off so slowly. Thank you:) I apologize for all the cliffhangers..but a warning for the future..I really, really like writing them. :) Enjoy!**

_**start flashback**_

_Nathan heard a knock on the door of his dorm suite. Not expecting anyone, he crossed the room and opened the door slowly. When he saw who was in his doorway, he threw the door open._

_A woman was standing there. Her blonde hair was blowing softly in the cool breeze. Her dark brown eyes were wide and Nathan could see the reflection of the moon in them. He couldn't quite name the expression on her face. It was a cross between worry and joy._

_"Hi," came her soft voice. Nathan noticed it quivered slightly. Nathan closed his eyes briefly, remembering that voice. The voice of the girl he fell in love with during highschool. The voice of the girl he still loved to this moment._

_He opened his eyes to see her again. "Haley," he stated, his own voice uneven._

_The two just looked at each other for another second before, reveling in the similarity of the situation to a year ago._

_Nathan took a step towards Haley, shutting the door behind them. "Let's walk outside..." he started unsurely. "It's a nice night."_

_Haley nodded. "Okay," she agreed in the same shaky voice._

_The two started down one of the many footpaths on the campus. They walked in silence for a moment, each waiting for the other to say something._

_"I know I'm a year late," Haley said, not looking at him. "But I missed you. I thought I'd pay you a visit."_

_Nathan still wasn't quite sure what to say to her, so Haley continued in his silence._

_"I don't expect anything from you- you made the situation perfectly clear before we both left that summer." She paused for a moment. "I got notice of the annulment and everything," she rambled on. "But I wanted to tell you-"_

_But she stopped as Nathan grabbed her arm, pulling him close to him. Her breath caught in her throat as his lips crashed down upon hers. Recovering quickly from her shock, Haley met his intensity, while Nathan's hands flew to her back and her hair. Haley clung to him like her life depended on it._

_Haley broke the kiss, stepping back and breathing hard. Even though the kiss had not lasted long, the feelings and desires sparked by the moment were enough to make her feel like she had run a mile. She looked up at Nathan, the confusion written on her face._

_Nathan smiled knowingly at the expression on Haley's face. "I'm going to -assume- you're wondering why I just did that?" Nathan asked her._

_Haley was in wonder that he was still able to read her like a book. "Not that I'm complaining," she said as she nodded. "But... I don't understand. I didn't come back. I gave up on us."_

_Nathan shook his head rapidly. "No you didn't."_

_Haley shook her own head. Nathan reached out a hand and lifted her chin so he could study her face. Her features were more mature. It looked like she had done a lot of worrying in her still young age._

_"You're here now, aren't you?"_

_He took her hand, pulling her over to a bench on one of the sides of the path. Nathan released her hand as they sat, allowing Haley to twist hers together in her lap. Watching her hands, Nathan started to speak._

_"I'm glad you didn't come back, Haley," he told her quietly._

_Haley looked up at his face. Nathan watched the line of emotions surface in her eyes. "What?" she asked, hurt lacing her voice._

_"Not because of you," he replied quickly. "Or that I didn't love you... it was because you were right."_

_"Right about what?"_

_"About our marriage. We rushed into it so quickly that neither of us even had the chance to grow up, into our own people. I think that's what it takes to maintain a marriage. For each person to have explored their possibilities by themselves.. for each person to want to start exploring a new life shared with another." Nathan paused for a moment. Haley was in awe of how far he had come from the time that had their last conversation about this._

_"And we weren't there yet. It was obvious. I just couldn't see it because my mind had been clouded by you, Haley." Haley looked down and away from him. Nathan brought her face back up to his again. "And about a month into camp I realized that I envied you for leaving," he added softly._

_Haley opened her mouth to say something in defiance, but she stopped. Nathan took this as a sign that she wasn't going to add anything and he continued. "You got to go after your dream. You went on a tour, Haley. It's amazing, really," he added. "And it was my turn to go after what I wanted in life. Not just having your love, but my life in basketball."_

_Haley nodded, understanding his points. "So why did you kiss me... if you want nothing to do with us?"_

_Nathan shook his head, a smile forming on his lips. "That's not what I said."_

_"That's what it sounds like. We stood in the way of each other- why are you smiling?" she asked, the anger rising in her voice._

_"I've missed you, Haley," he said to her._

_Haley was taken aback by his statement. Why was he acting so... calm? "I've missed you too, you know that."_

_Nathan was quiet for a moment. "Why did you come here, tonight? And not this 'you missed me' stuff- the real answer."_

_Haley cleared her throat, suddenly very nervous about what she was going to reveal. "Because I love you..."_

_Haley saw a light form in Nathan's eyes, one that she hadn't seen in a very long time. The light that told her everything would be okay.. and it gave her new confidence._

_"...and because even when I was on that stage singing, and the spotlight was on me... I was empty. I need you to complete my life, Nathan. You're that missing piece that I don't have anymore."_

_Nathan let out a breath he was holding. It was up to him now to lay it all down on the table. He ran a hand through his already messy hair._

_"I'm glad you feel that way, Haley," he said softly. "Because it's exactly how I feel."_

_Haley couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. "So what do we do now?"_

_Nathan took her by the hand and Haley squeezed it. "Baby steps?" she asked him gently._

_Nathan nodded. "Baby steps," he confirmed. "I think it will be a long time before I ask you to marry me again," he added causing Haley to laugh slightly._

_"Sounds like a plan," she said._

_Nathan rose from his seat, taking Haley's hand with him and dragging her off the bench. "Let's get back inside, it's cold out here."_

_Haley flashed him a sweet smile and the two walked hand in hand back to Nathan's room._

_**end flashback**_

Peyton was shaking her head back and forth as the story came to an end.

"And the two of you kept this from everyone for what- almost two years?" Peyton asked disbelievingly.

"Not really. We were long distance until I moved here.. and that was what- a couple of months ago?" Haley said. "It wasn't hard to hide until recently."

"You're a little more nosey than Brooke and Luke were," Nathan added. "I like you're couch by the way," he added with a smirk.

Peyton groaned while Nathan laughed.

"And you know that you have to keep this a secret, right?" Haley asked, a nervous edge to her voice.

Peyton rolled her eyes. "I know. I keep a lot of secrets, remember?"

"Speaking of," Nathan said as he pulled Haley down on the couch next to him. "Word has it that you had breakfast with Lucas this morning.."

Peyton flinched slightly at the direct connection. Her eyes wandered to Haley's and Nathan's hands that were intertwined around each other. Together again it seemed.

_**start flashback**_

_Lucas went up into Peyton's room to find her in her closet searching through her record collection. There was already music blaring from her player. He wiped his hands on his pants, drying them from doing the dishes, as he neared her._

_"Hey," he said softly from the doorway of her closet. She looked up at him when he spoke. "I- uh- finished the dishes, and I'll go-"_

_Peyton shook her head, an odd look on her face. "You don't have to go."_

_Lucas nodded once. "Listen, about before..." he trailed off, without knowing what to say._

_Peyton put back the record she was holding and her eyes met his. Lucas felt his pulse jump and he swallowed hard. She broke the mesmerizing gaze and cleared her throat._

_"Maybe I'm misreading... all of this... but please, tell me that- that you-" Peyton began._

_"Don't have more than friendly feelings towards you?" Lucas finished._

_Peyton eyes widened as she realized that he had known exactly what she was talking about. "Because we... we had our chance, we didn't work..."_

_This statement was not what Lucas was expecting and he was taken aback. "No we didn't," Lucas replied. "We never had a chance."_

_It was Peyton's turn to be taken aback. She pushed past him and into her room, where she tried to busy herself with something. Eventually she put down what she was doing loudly. "You still haven't told me," Peyton told him, her voice rising in volume._

_Lucas put his hands into his pockets. He remained silent for a moment. He couldn't reveal his feelings for her. He just couldn't. He mistakenly rose his eyes to meet hers again. Her hazel eyes were boring into his and Lucas knew that Peyton would read the truth off of him eventually. She usually could._

_Her eyes widened slowly and seemingly painfully in Lucas' mind. He looked away from her shamefully, but looked up when Peyton fled the room. Lucas followed her. It was very unlike Peyton to run from her problems, from anything, really._

_When she realized that he had followed her down the stairs, she rounded on him. "What did you just develop 'feelings' for me because I'm the only girl around, or what? Brooke's gone so it's Peyton's turn!" she yelled at him._

_Lucas couldn't help but notice that along with the anger in her voice, it held a sadness. He couldn't stop the small bubble of hope that began to form in his chest. Was it possible that Peyton felt for him what he felt for her? "Peyton it's not like that-"_

_"You stupid boys going after any girl that's within a mile of you-"_

_But her rantings where silenced when Lucas moved towards her and grabbed both of her hands in his. Peyton tried to ignore the tingly feeling that resulted in his touch. Trying to stop it, she attempted to pull her hands out of his grasp, but he wouldn't let her._

_"Let go!" she exclaimed as she pulled harder._

_Lucas shook his head. "Please, just listen to me, Peyton."_

_Peyton was ready to resist, but the pleading, sincere look that had taken over his features was enough to make her stop trying to yank her hands away from him._

_His grasp on her weakened, but he still held her hands gently in his. "This isn't that. It's not just because Brooke isn't here..." Lucas told her tentatively. "My feelings for Brooke could never come even close to the ones that I have for you."_

_Peyton bit her bottom lip at his statement. "But you still told her, Lucas. You told her that you had feelings for her- you kissed her!"_

_Lucas bit back a sigh that had formed on his lips. "Only because I thought that I had lost you..to Jake."_

_"You can't use that as an excuse, Lucas. Everyone knew about you're feelings for Brooke, besides her, of course."_

_"Because I buried my feelings for you! I thought it was done, that we weren't going to get another chance. And this summer... it's been..." he paused trying to search for the perfect words. "..magical, Peyton. You and me were like we were before... and I couldn't stop myself from feeling that way about you again. It just happened," he finished weakly._

_They were still standing close to one another, their hands intertwined together in between them. Lucas moved slightly closer to her and took it as a good sign that Peyton didn't move back._

_"And you think that we have another chance now?" she asked him._

_"Do you want another chance, Peyton?" he asked back boldly._

_Peyton opened her mouth and then shut it again. "I don't know," she said softly._

_Lucas watched her lick her lips and held back a groan. Was she trying to kill him? She moved closer to him until the lower parts of their bodies were almost touching._

_Lucas moved his head towards her slowly as Peyton rose on her toes to meet him. Their lips were less than a centimeters apart. "What about Brooke?" she whispered right before their lips met. The effect was intoxicating to Lucas. Electricity ran up and down his spine as the intensity of the kiss increased. Their hands had released, and his hand habitually ran into her hair that he had longed to run his hands through for so long. Peyton had a hand on his back, pulling him forward into him as though she was desperate for the contact._

_Suddenly, she pulled back. "I can't," she whispered in a broken voice. "We can't."_

_Lucas' chest was rising and falling rapidly. His whole body ached at the loss of contact. "Why not?" he demanded back._

_"It's too much... there's too much surrounding what this could be.." she said horsely. Peyton took a step back from him. "There's- there's Jake... and Brooke... and look what happened last time..."_

_"But this is now," Lucas responded, the desperation evident in his voice._

_"I'm sorry," Peyton muttered as she turned his back on him, heading for the door to escape._

_Lucas got a flash back to that time in the hallway, where she had said thos same words to him. Then he had pulled her back into a kiss._

_But this time was different. This time he was too heartbroken to move, to utter a noise to stop her. He watched silently as she flung open the door and ran out it. He himself collasped onto the couch- Peyton's couch, ironically enough._

_**end flashback**_

"Peyton?" Haley was asking, waving a hand over her face.

"Huh?" Peyton asked as she took back to reality, to the present day.

Haley rolled her eyes. "Thinking about a certain someone, are we?"

Peyton could feel her cheeks blush unvoluntarily. "I never should have told you anything about Lucas.." she said through her embarresment.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Haley responded. She shot Nathan a significant look as she said it. "We should get going, though," she said to Nathan. "Just in case someone comes over here."

Nathan nodded. "And Peyton, you know to keep you're mouth shut, right?"

"Always so charming, Nathan," Peyton replied with a smirk. "And of course I will," she added.

"Thanks, Peyton," Haley said as she grabbed a coat. "I'll be right back. Just going to drop Mr. Charming off in his dorm."

Peyton nodded. "Take your time. I know you will."

Haley shot her a face, but waved on her way out.

**Please Review:)**


	14. Then What Is This?

**A/N: Sorry it's been soo long...but thanks for the reviews :) Keep um coming! lol**

Brooke and Lucas came over later that night, with Nathan rightfully in his dorm and Haley sitting besides Peyton on the couch, her guitar in her lap.

"I have the most wonderful news, Peyton!" Brooke squealed as soon as her and Lucas had sat down.

Peyton eyebrows raised, but Brooke continued. "Our department at work is holding a party. It's formal, this Saturday, so I have plenty of time to take you two shopping, which is going to be fun."

"Brooke I-" Haley interrupted.

"-Yes, I know you need dates. I've got that convered too," she said with an excited smile.

"Brooke, what did you do?" Peyton asked slowly.

"Nothing- yet. But there's two really cute boys that work on the second floor, and I thought they'd be perfect for the two of you."

Peyton couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes in exasperation. She couldn't find a way to get out of the set-up either. "What about Nathan?" Peyton asked quickly, while Haley threw her a warning look. "We can't leave him out."

Brooke glanced at Haley, who had quickly smoothed her warning look into a look of feigned disinterest. "I'm -assuming- we'll have to find him a date too?" Brooke asked.

Haley shrugged her shoulders. "Why are you asking me?"

Peyton cleared her throat. "Maybe I could go with Nathan?"

Haley's eyes widened as Brooke's gaze flashed back to Peyton. Peyton suppressed a grin.

"That's an idea," Brooke started, her excitement rising again. "Then I only have to find Haley a date-"

"-I don't really have to go-"

"-Oh please. You're coming," Brooke replied sternly.

Peyton's eyes flew to Lucas as he tried to suppress a chuckle. He turned it into a cough before Brooke could notice. He gave Peyton a small smile that made her heart clench. She looked away from him quickly, angry with herself for even looking at him. How stupid was she? Well now wasn't the time to get into that.

"So it's settled," Brooke was saying. "Me and Lucas, obviously, Peyton and Nathan, and Haley and.. whoever."

Peyton couldn't help the laugh this time. Brooke, thinking she was funny, joined in with the laughter. She didn't know what was really funny at the moment, which was the Haley and Nathan situation.

"I'll call you two about shopping later," Brooke continued, as though someone had her set to hyperspeed. She rose from her chair, trying to drag Lucas up with her, but stopped when Lucas didn't budge.

"Where are you going?" he asked her.

"You mean 'we'," Brooke responded.

"Where are we going then," he asked again, putting a stress on the 'we'.

"Shopping," she replied brightly.

"But I thought you said that you were taking them shopping some other time..." Lucas began.

Peyton stiffled another laugh. All this time with Brooke and Lucas still didn't understand that every moment not making out or shopping was a wasted moment to her.

Brooke was looking at Lucas as though he had just sprouted another head. "Yes, but that's for the party. This is for fun," she replied.

Lucas didn't look too happy about that answer. "You want to spend one of the only days off that we have together shopping?"

"What's better than shopping?", she asked.

Peyton shared a glance with Haley, who was watching the two with fascination. This was getting ridiculous.

"You really don't want to go shopping with me?" Brooke said, her voice starting to sound hurt.

Lucas cringed slightly, but didn't answer. "I just kinda wanted to hang out with everyone today," he said slowly.

Brooke blinked a few times, and then she looked between Peyton and Lucas. "Okay," she said quietly. "You stay here and I'll go. That's fine." And with that, she turned on her heel and left the apartment.

Peyton glanced at Lucas, who was looking guilty. Haley was watching him expectantly, as though she thought he was going to get up and follow her. The seconds passed by, but he didn't go.

He cleared his throat. "So what are you two doing today..."

_**start flashback..weeks after the kiss**_

_As Lucas flipped on the windshield wipers, he felt a sudden ache inside of him, one that was only connected to one thing: Peyton. Everything reminded him of her, and the rain was no different. The memory from when he took her to the show in Charleston was beckoned to the front of his mind._

_He turned onto the street to his house. He and Peyton had avoided each other like the black plague since the morning where he had spilled his feelings to her and they had kissed. They hadn't talked or payed any attention to each other since. It was heartbreaking to Lucas. This happening was what he had been afraid of- losing her forever._

_Lucas pulled into his driveway to see a figure sitting in the swing on the front porch. He squinted through the thick rain to see who it was. Quickly, he jumped out of his car and ran until he was under the roof of the porch._

_XOXO_

_Peyton swung the swing gently back and forth, watching as the rain fell. She had always loved the rain, even since she was a little girl. It was amazing to her for some reason. She ran a hand nervously through her hair, which was almost dry. That's how long she had been sitting here for._

_Hearing a noise, Peyton turned her head slightly and saw a car approaching. Her stomach gave a lurch when she recoginized Lucas' car. She watched him as he got out of his car and make a beeline for the cover of the porch from the rain._

_Lucas couldn't believe his eyes. There was Peyton. Apparently he wasn't the only one reminded of them by the rain._

_Peyton took a visible deep breath and attempted a smile. "Hey," she said._

_Lucas didn't return the smile. As a matter of fact, he looked rather annoyed. "What are you doing here?" he asked her, his voice cold._

_Peyton's face screwed up slightly at his attitude. "You know what, Lucas, just forget it..", Peyton said as she rose up from the swing, making to leave the safety of the porch._

_Lucas watched her go for a second, but thought better of it. "Don't go."_

_She stopped where she was and turned to look at him. His wonderfully shaded blue eyes were intense with emotion. Peyton shook off a shudder with this realization._

_Lucas motioned to the swing, where Peyton reluctantly followed him to and sat down. Both were silent for a few minutes, but neither uncomfortable. How did that work?_

_"What are you really doing here, Peyton?" he asked her again._

_Peyton sniffed slightly, her nose running from the cooler August air that accompanied the rains. "I missed you," she replied honestly, with a shrug of her shoulders. "We haven't seen each other in weeks-"_

_"Five weeks and three days," Lucas finished, his voice sounding far away. Peyton found herself smiling involuntarily at the fact that he knew exactly how long it had been. Lucas looked embaressed._

_"Exactly," Peyton said, using a play on the word. "I just... I wanted to see what you were doing."_

_Lucas shifted in his seat. "You can't just come here, like nothing ever happened.. and pick things back up like normal."_

_Peyton sobered slightly. She had expected this, though. "I'm not trying to."_

_"Then what is this?" Lucas asked, gesturing to the two of them on the swing together._

_**pause flashback**_

Lucas had gone home a short time ago, off to argue some more with Brooke, Peyton was sure. Haley and Lucas had spent the day taking Peyton around the city, like Haley had said she would earlier as a cover up for her and Nathan. It had been a day like back in Tree Hill, and Peyton could find herself feeling more and more at home here.

It was her and Haley now in the apartment together. Peyton had expected her to rush out the door to a recording session, or some show, or even to Nathan, but she remained on the couch, silently flipping through the channels over and over again.

As Peyton neared her, she noticed that Haley had a far off look in her eyes. She wasn't even looking at the screen.

"Haley?" Peyton asked tentatively. Haley blinked a few times and shook her head. It appeared she had come back to the present.

"Sorry," Haley muttered, her voice quivering slightly.

"What's wrong?"

Haley swallowed hard. "Do you remember what I told you.. that first time I called you in September... right after you left for the Bahamas?"

Peyton nodded. "Yeah, how could I forget?"

"And you haven't told anyone, right?" Haley asked, wringing her hands together.

Peyton shook her head fiercly. "Of course not... why?"

Haley blinked rapidly. "Two years ago today, was..."

Peyton nodded. "I know."

Peyton sunk into the seat next to her. "You okay?"

Haley nodded weakly. Not too convincing. "I've been thinking about it a lot lately... and now with Nathan... I regret what I did. I wish I hadn't have..." Haley couldn't hold the tears back anymore.

Peyton found herself consoling Haley, something she hadn't done in a long time. "It's alright.." Peyton said. But she knew to Haley, that it wasn't.

Haley rubbed at her face impatiently, like she had done a lot of crying lately and wanted it to stop. Suddenly she stopped and turned towards Peyton. "Do you think I should tell him?"

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

The time flew to the Saturday morning, the day of the party. Haley, Peyton and Brooke had spent the week shopping and getting ready. Peyton was still trying not to laugh at the memory of the face that Nathan had expressed when she told him that she was taking him to the party. Haley and Peyton still teased him to the day about it, secretly of course.

Peyton wandered out into the living room area to make herself and Haley some coffee, when she spotted what was outside through the window.

"Snow!" she exclaimed.

Haley moaned from the other room, who had not quite gotten out of bed yet. "What are you yelling about?" she grumbled.

"It's snowing!"

"So?" she yelled back from the other room.

"I've never seen snow, Haley," she continued.

Peyton went to the door to throw it open and see the snow on the ground. When she had the door open, she stopped short.

**A/N: Please review!**


	15. Snow

**A/N: I am very impressed at the amount of reviews I am getting and I just want to say thanks to everyone one of you who review:) Keep it up! lol**

Haley's eyes fluttered softly as Nathan watched her. She must be dreaming. He had spent the night in the apartment- a new luxury since Peyton found out about them. He could hear Peyton moving around in the next room and Haley stretched in his arms, her back arching like a cats would.

He heard Peyton yell 'snow' in the distance, and her eyes popped open at the noise. They closed again quickly in response to the blinding sun that had filtered in through the blinds. It had made her hair glow, the vivacious, blonde highlights standing out against her original brown strands. She mumbled something that Nathan couldn't quite make out, but the action brought a smile to Nathan's lips anyways.

She moaned slightly, but loud enough for Peyton to hear in the next roon anyway, Nathan was sure. Haley rolled away from him, onto her back. "What are you yelling about?" Haley griped, speaking to Peyton in the next room.

"It's snowing!" Peyton had yelled back. Nathan could discern the glee in her voice. Apparently she's never seen snow, he thought.

"So?" Haley yelled, rolling onto her stomach and pressing her face into the pillow. He knew by now that she wasn't a morning person.

"I've never seen snow, Haley," came the reply from Peyton in the other room. Five points for Nathan.

"See it a bit quieter," Haley said into her pillow so Peyton couldn't hear her.

Nathan listened as Peyton moved quickly to the door. She must be running, or something, he thought. He heard the door latch open, but then he heard her stop moving. Then there was silence.

Curious and worried, Nathan rolled out of bed without Haley noticing. She must have gone back to sleep. As he was opening the door, he heard Peyton's voice.

"What are you doing here?" She sounded confused, not mad.

_**start flashback**_

_Nathan's cell phone kept ringing as he searched for it in his room. Sifting through a pile of clothes, he finally found it._

_"Hello?"_

_"Hey," came Peyton's voice. "How's camp?"_

_"Tough," came Nathan's reply. He was surprised that Peyton had called him, but it didn't come through in his voice. "I still can't really play like I used to before the crash," he continued. "Even if it has been all summer."_

_"You'll get it back," Peyton replied confidently. "You know you will."_

_Nathan nodded even though Peyton couldn't see him. "How's your summer been?"_

_Peyton hesitated slightly on the other end. "Okay, I guess," she finally answered._

_"Okay, what's that supposed to mean?" Nathan asked her._

_"Nothing," she answered quickly. "It was okay, like I said."_

_"What is it that you're not telling me?"_

_Peyton didn't answer. Nathan slowly pieced together something in his head. "It was just you and Lucas all summer, wasn't it?" he asked._

_"Yeah...and?"_

_"Did you guys... are you together?"_

_Peyton hesitated again. "No."_

_Nathan noticed a hitch in her voice. "Then what happened?"_

_"Nothing," she said, but stopped Nathan as he started to protest. "Nothing can happen."_

_Nathan stopped talking for a second, contemplating her words. "Brooke," he said._

_He took the silence from Peyton on the other end of the line as his answer. "This isn't what I called for, Nathan."_

_Taken aback by the new seriousness in his tone, Nathan forgot all about her and Lucas._

_"I wanted to tell you that...I'm leaving."_

_Nathan shook his head, confused. "Leaving where?"_

_"Tree Hill."_

_Nathan's mouth dropped open slightly. "What?"_

_"I'm- uh- going with my father on one of his trips, to the Bahamas."_

_"For how long?"_

_"A year," came Peyton's voice. Nathan felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach._

_"What about school?"_

_"They have them in the Bahamas. Everything is worked out."_

_Nathan could hear that Peyton was upset, which made him wonder why she was doing this. "Peyton, why are you upset about this?"_

_Nathan heard an audible sniff from the other end. "Don't you want to go?"_

_"Yes...," came the reply, although she sounded far from sure about it. "It's nothing, Nathan."_

_"Why are you going if you don't want to?" Nathan inquired. Peyton didn't reply once again._

_"What did Lucas do?"_

_Peyton made a noise of surprise. "It was both of his, Nate," she replied honestly. "I told you- it can never happen. This is an opportunity to get away from... that... and spend some time with my Dad."_

_Nathan pursed his lips together and sighed. "If I find out he did something to you..."_

_"It wasn't him. If anything, you'd probably want to hurt me for what I did to him."_

_Still not truly satisfied, Nathan gave it up._

_"I'm gonna miss you, Nathan."_

_"You too."_

_Peyton paused. "And be with Haley. Love is stronger than anything, Nathan. Remember that."_

_Nathan smiled. "You too," he repeated. "I'll call you, okay?"_

_"Yeah," Peyton agreed. "Please do."_

_"I will."_

_**end flashback**_

Nathan poked his head out the door, which wasn't fully opened yet.

"Pe-", he started to say, but the words died in his mouth. His jaw dropped and he slowly began backing up into the room. Shutting the door softly, he bounded soundlessly over to the bed Haley was still lying in. She had fallen back asleep on her stomach, her face turned sideways on her pillow.

He reached down tentatively and shook her arm softly. "Haley," he whispered.

She swatted his hand away and turned her head to the other side. "Haley!" he whispered more urgently.

"What?" she asked groggily, her voice loud.

"Sush!" he exclaimed, his voice still low. He reached down to move the hair from on her face as he continued speaking. "We have a problem."

Haley muttered something that sounded a bit vulgar. "Haley- Lucas is in the other room."

Her eyes were open now, all signs of weariness gone from her features. She sprang up from her bed, putting an ear to the door. She clapped a hand over her mouth when she realized that Nathan just wasn't playing games with her.

Here she was, in her own room, with a only half-way dressed ex-husband, whom she was supposedly broken up with, with non other than his brother and her friend outside the door. She bit her tongue, and saw a smile light up Nathan's features.

"Why are you smiling?" she hissed at him.

"I love this sneaking around thing," he whispered back. "And you're looking really hot, standing there all worried, not in the rain of course though, that I'm thinking I might have to kiss you."

Haley smiled at the familiarity of his words and watched him as he got nearer to her. She could see the muscles working in his chest as his arms moved to take her in his arms. Haley pressed herself up against him, and their lips met with a stunning intensity. It never seemed to die down- the intenseness of their relationship. She hoped it stayed that way for good.

Coming back to her senses, Haley pulled back. Lucas was in the other room, she reminded herself. Nathan reached up and touched her face, but Haley pulled back slightly. She knew the guilt was getting to her, the secret was beginning to be too much to deal with. Haley knew she had to tell him soon, before their relationship became any deeper than it was now. His heart would shatter, she knew, but it had to be done.

Nathan's face stiffened as she backed away. "What's wrong?" he asked her, all playfulness gone from his voice.

"Lucas is right there," she said, as she motioned at the door wildly.

"No, that's not it. You've been acting distant all week." Nathan paused for a moment. "Did I do something?" he asked her, obviously and adorably concerned.

His blue eyes were enticing her. She couldn't come up with a plausible enough excuse for him because of this distraction. Eventually she shook her head. "No, you didn't do anything..."

"Then what-"

Nathan stopped mid-sentence as the door opened slowly.

XOXOXOXOXOXOOX

Out in the other room, Peyton threw the door open in her excitement, only to stop moving all together. He stood there before her, his arm raised, like he had been just about to knock on the door.

"Hi," he said as he dropped his arm.

Peyton shifted uncomfortably. "What are you doing here?" she asked, curiously, her voice betrayed neither her anger or her joy at seeing him. Funny how those two emotions seemed to accompany each other. But Lucas always had to complicate things, didn't he?

"I saw the snow and I knew it was the first time you had seen it."

Peyton just stared at him. He left his house to come all the way over here... because it was snowing, she asked herself slowly. She watched as he shivered slightly in the cold.

"Are you going to come in," Peyton asked as she sifted in the doorway, making room for him to enter.

He contemplated for a second. "Actually... I was wondering if you'd like to come out?"

"Come out?" Peyton repeated, her face screwed up in confusion.

"Yeah. I wanted to show you something," he replied.

Peyton looked herself over. She still had the clothes that she slept in on and her hair must be a mess. "But I'm not even ready to go anywhere," Peyton said as she rubbed her bare arms from the cold of the doorway.

Lucas shrugged. "It doesn't matter- no one will see you. I think you look beu- fine. You look fine," he said quickly, blushing slightly.

He looked at her with those deep blue orbs, causing a strange feeling to take over her. Peyton recognized it as desire. Not a good thing to feel for your best friend's husband every time he looks at you, she thought. But she also knew she wanted to go with him.

Peyton heard a thump from Haley's room and her stomach dropped as she remembered that Nathan was in there. She and Lucas heard what sounded like whispering and Peyton grimaced.

"What's she doing in there?"

Peyton shrugged in what she hoped was a nonchalant way. "It's probably the t.v. She most likely doesn't know that you're here, and was just relaxing or something," Peyton said as she started to move towards Haley's door. Peyton turned her head back towards Lucas. "Come in and warm yourself up for a minute," she told him. "I'll just let Haley know you're here."

Her hand was on the doorknob and she opened the door slowly, giving the two enough time to get out of the doorway, if that's where they were.

She entered the room to the wide eyes of Nathan and Haley. "Oh, it's only you," Haley whispered in relief as soon as Peyton had shut the door. Nathan let out a breath he had been holding.

"What is he doing here?" Haley questioned frantically.

"He said he wants to bring me somewhere.."

"What?"

"I don't know," Peyton admitted. "But I'll go to get him out of the house. I'm afraid if I don't go, then he'll stay here all day until the party tonight. Then you-" she said as she pointed to Nathan "-can escape and be out of here by the time we come back."

Nathan nodded his head. "But you owe me- big time," Peyton continued, this time pointing at Haley.

Haley rolled her eyes. "Yeah like you don't want to go," she replied.

Peyton opened her mouth for a retort or denial, but found none. "Now come on, I told him I'd bring you out there to say hi," Peyton said.

"No way," Haley said.

"It's the only way to get him to stop questioning what you were doing in here."

Haley glanced at Nathan, who still looked upset with her from their interrupted conversation. Not wanting to be left alone with him at the moment, Haley agreed. She knew, in her heart that she would have to tell him her closely guarded secret- tonight.

Peyton and Haley headed out the door, leaving Nathan to merely watch as Haley walked out of their conversation.

**Well? Please review!**


	16. Bad Timing Or a Sign?

**A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews! Anyone have any guesses on Haley's secret yet? **

The two had been driving for two hours now. They had left the city and started to climb a mountain side- something Peyton didn't think was very smart when it was snowing out, but Lucas insisted that they go on- that he had done it before.

"We are going to back in time for the party tonight, right?" Peyton asked him.

Lucas rolled his eyes at her. "Of course. I think Brooke would murder me if I missed it."

"Speaking of- she was okay with you driving me to- wherever we're going?"

Lucas didn't answer right away. "She was okay with me coming to see you and Haley this morning..."

"But you didn't tell her that you were taking me out?"

Lucas scratched his head nervously. "No."

Peyton let out an exasperated noise. "What is this, Lucas?"

"What's what?"

"Is this some kind of stunt to get back at Brooke for being gone somewhere all the time or what?"

Lucas actually looked from the road, and to her face, he was so shocked at what she had just said. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked defensively.

"First of all- road," she said and Lucas' eyes darted back to watching the road through the windshield. "And don't tell me that you haven't noticed it, you're not that thick. Brooke working overtime, going shopping by herself... doesn't that sound a little weird?"

Lucas' face was clenched. "Could we not talk about Brooke, please? Let's just have fun- you and me."

Peyton now knew that he had realized everything she had pointed out. Was Brooke really having an affair...or was she really doing everything that she claimed? She was so consumed in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed Lucas pull off the road until he stopped the car.

"We're here."

_**continue flashback**_

_"Then what is this?" Lucas asked her as he shifted on the swing, his eyes leaving her face for a moment to watch the rain fall._

_Peyton met his question with silence. She saw Lucas nodding, as if he knew everything about her, from the corner of her eyes._

_"I just kinda ended up here."_

_She looked at him now, and his eyes held curiosity. He had stopped nodding, at least. "Why?" he mustered to question._

_Peyton shrugged and broke eye contact with him. She hated feeling this vulnerable, it wasn't her._

_Lucas just watched her- not really caring why she was there, but only that she was there. He loved her, and he knew it for sure at that point. The whole summer he had been questioning his feelings, but he knew it now. He was in love in her._

_He noticed her shiver and rose from his seat a bit, pulling a blanket out from underneath him. Leaning slightly, he was able to reach both of her shoulders to put the blanket around her. His face was close to hers now and he could feel his whole body get excited, his heart beating wildly beneath his skin._

_Peyton muttered a thank you, quietly, and gave him a small smile. They fell back into a silence, Lucas waiting for Peyton to say what she really came out here for. He watched her play with a frayed edge of the blanket, her eyes following her actions._

_Minutes later, she cleared her throat. "About what you said before- that you wanted a second chance... did you mean it?"_

_Lucas nodded. "Of course I did. Why would I say something that I didn't mean?"_

_"Like telling Brooke that you wanted to be with her?"_

_"What does that have to do with anything?"_

_"Because Lucas, she matters to me. I don't want her hurt again... I think we did enough the first time."_

_"Everytime you and I... have something doesn't mean that we're cheating on Brooke, Peyton. She made it perfectly clear that she wanted nothing to do with me."_

_"But you admitted to her-"_

_"Two months ago! Things do change, Peyton. Feelings change. Brooke is a second choice beside you, Pey. I compare every girl to you- Brooke, Anna- none of them can hold anything compared to what I feel for you."_

_Peyton's face was thoughtful. "I still don't think it's a good idea- you and me."_

_"Why not!" Lucas exclaimed. "I don't understand- if I have feelings for you and you have feelings for me, correct me if I'm wrong of course, but why else would you be here?- then why are you trying to get away from this?"_

_"Because it scares me," Peyton said, and Lucas' frustration automically disappeared. "It scares me that you feel this intensely for me, that I.. I need you. I need to be with you."_

_Lucas felt a smile form on his lips. "You need to be with me?"_

_"Yeah," Peyton said with a laugh. "I don't let myself need people, Lucas, you know that."_

_A side of her blanket fell off her shoulder and Lucas lifted it back up for her. "Then let me take care of you. Let me be with you."_

_Peyton could feel his fingers lingering on her skin where the edge of the blanket now rested._

_Everything was screaming 'no' in her head. She knew the complications of a relationship with him, she knew what it could mean... but she wanted it. She bit her lip at the thought. She loved him, again._

_Peyton slowly lifted her hand up to where his still lay on her shoulder. She pulled it off gently, holding it for a moment. Lucas didn't know whether she was going to throw it off her in disgust or what._

_Peyton locked her eyes with his, and Lucas could see her answer written in her eyes. Her fingers slid in between his, and their palms finally pressed together._

_Lucas' breath hitched unvoluntarily at the contact. His free hand wandered to cup her chin and his thumb found itself sweeping over her cheek. Her eyes fell closed, but she opened them when he stopped moving his thumb._

_He was looking into her soul. He always did that when he looked at her. But this time, it didn't scare her._

_Their lips met, softly and usurely. It was like a first kiss- uncertain and new. Lucas' hand found it's way to her hair, like it always did._

_Peyton pulled back to breathe and she saw how dark his eyes were. He gently kissed her forehead, then her cheek, and then her sensitive spot on her neck._

_"Are you sure?" Lucas asked her, his voice deeper and rougher than usual._

_"I'm sure," Peyton responded._

_Lucas couldn't stop the smile that came to his face. They kissed again, Lucas pulling Peyton forward towards him, their lips moving in synch with one another. It was so familiar, to Peyton... but the feeling brought with the action was so new, so unique to them._

_It was Lucas who broke the kiss this time. "So this is.. what to you? A summer fling..or are we... you know, dating?"_

_"Which one do you want?" Peyton asked him, already knowing the answer._

_"I wanna be with you," he told her. "I want to have that relationship we never got to have. I want a first date, and a one month anniversary.."_

_Peyton laughed. "Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves."_

_Lucas smiled embarrassedly and Peyton turned and situated herself on the swing so that she was sitting in between his legs, her back resting against his chest. He clasped his hands in front of her, and Peyton put hers around his. And the rain pounded on around them._

_**end flashback**_

Peyton pushed her door shut and met Lucas on his side of the car.

"Come on, it's just a little bit up this trail," he told her. The two walked in a comfortable silence up a dirt path. The snow was still falling lightly and Peyton was glad she had dressed so warmly. She had forgotten gloves though, she thought as she shoved her hands in her pockets to keep them warm.

The trees around the path cleared, and Peyton saw what they had been driving for. "Wow," she commented.

The trail they were on ended on the edge of a cliff, which was stopped off by a guardrail. Two large boulder-like rocks were off to the side, perched on the very edge of the precipice. They continued walking until Peyton could lean against the guardrail. Beyond was one of the most beautiful sights she had even seen. The mountains stretched out in front of them, the snow covering every inch of them. It looked like a painting, it was so perfect. The still falling snow dropped in swirls around them.

"It's like we're in a snowglobe," Peyton said.

Lucas grinned at her. "It's nice, isn't it?"

Peyton nodded, her eyes still roaming the sight in front of her. "How did you find this place?"

"I have a cousin- who lives up in the Catskills, like an hour or so away from here. My mom and I were driving up to see them a long time ago and we got lost and ended up here."

Lucas motioned towards the two rocks. "Wanna sit?"

Peyton nodded enthusiastically and each of them took their own seperate rock. Lucas put his legs up on hers. "How did you remember the way?"

"I've been up here since then," Lucas told her, with a shrug. "You're actually the only other person I've brought here. It's more of a private- kinda thinking and reading- spot for me."

"It is beautiful," she said, trying to hide her happiness at his last words. He hadn't even brought Brooke up here.

"Well, then mission accomplished."

Lucas couldn't help but notice the tiny snowflakes that were dotted- barely visible- in her hair. Peyton followed his gaze, bringing a hand up to her hair. "What?"

"Nothing- just snow," he said as he reached up his own hand to brush the flakes out. Peyton stopped smiling and Lucas dropped his hand. "Sorry."

Peyton shook her head. "Why are you sorry?"

"Because I- I just- I don't want to make you uncomfortable," he stuttered out.

"You're not," she responded. "I'll admit- it's a little weird being alone with you after we left things like we did... but we have nothing to worry about because we're both over each other, right?" she said with a fake cheeriness.

Lucas was silent for a moment, surprised that her words had stung him. "Right," he agreed. "I'm with- married- to Brooke. And you're with Jake."

Peyton's head turned fast towards him. "Jake?"

"Yeah.. you're with him, aren't you?"

"No... why would you think that?" she asked disbelievingly. "I haven't seen him since..."

"A month after you left."

Peyton's mouth had dropped open. "How do you know any of this?"

"I told him where you were. He came back to Tree Hill, looking for you after you had left already and when to the Bahamas. He went after you."

"And why would you think that I was with him?"

Lucas hopped off of his rock suddenly. "I think it's time to go back," he said as he started to head back towards the car.

"Luke!"

Lucas stopped and turned back around to face her. "Because after I sent Jake down to you...I came after you myself. I wasn't ready to lose you, yet"

"What?"

"I got on a plane, using almost my entire savings to pay for the ticket, and flew down to the Bahamas."

"But I didn't-I-" Peyton sputtered. "I never saw you."

"When I came up to your house... I saw you and Jake kissing inside... so I went back home," he finished, a painful look on his face.

Peyton deflated slightly. "Oh."

"You're with him, then?"

Peyton shook her head. "You should have stuck around for a few more minutes, Lucas. I told Jake that I wasn't in love with him anymore. That I had moved on. We're only friends now."

They stared at each other for a moment. "Huh," was the only thing Lucas could come up with after a few minutes.

"Yeah," Peyton said shortly. She climbed off her rock and joined Lucas on the path.

"We both have really bad timing," Lucas said as they headed back up the path to the car.

"Or maybe it's a sign. That we're not meant for each other."

Lucas didn't respond and the walk was spent again in silence- not so comfortable this time.

**Well..happy LP in the past..and not so happy in the present. And what's with Brooke? hmm. **

**Up next: The party, featuring a jealous Nathan and an LP dance that ends..interestingly to say the least. Please review!**


	17. Dance our Lives Away

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, I love them everytime. And just to clear up the question about the snow..I wrote that part before 3.16 so I wasn't aware of their snowday. And here's the big party..and the insuing drama. lol. Enjoy!**

"So how do I look?" Peyton asked Haley as she finished tweaking her hair.

"Hot enough for Nathan to have a good time," Haley responded, her voice low to keep their conversation from Brooke in the next room.

Peyton laughed. "Come on- at least I saved you from having him with some mystery girl that might actually be interested in him."

"That's what Nathan's worried about- but with a guy for me, of course," Haley said with a grin. "He was actually getting all worked up about it before. It was pretty funny."

"Sorry I missed that," Peyton replied.

"Bet it wasn't as interesting as you're surprise trip with Luke," Haley shot back.

Peyton threw her eyeliner at Haley, who ducked a bit. The eyeliner bounced out into the hallway.

Brooke peeked her head in around the frame of the door, the eyeliner in her hand. "Are we having a fight in here?"

"Of course not," Peyton said innocently. "I just didn't like the color."

"Uh-ha," Brooke said as she entered the room. "Tutor girl- nice dress..." she said as she put the eyeliner into Peyton's outstreched hand. "And you're right, Peyton. Really not your color."

"Ha," Peyton said as she shoved Brooke playfully. Brooke grinned back. "I miss this," she said as they drifted back to their days spent together in high school.

"Me too, B. Davis, me too."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Peyton's foot was tapping up and down to the music as she sat sipping her drink in the chair. The most boring music she'd ever heard. To her left sat Nathan, her right, Haley, and next to Haley was her 'date', James.

Nathan kept throwing James glowering looks, while James looked rather concerned about it. It was all hysterical to Peyton for about an hour.. now it was just boring.

A slow song came on and Peyton groaned. "You know what," she started. "Let's dance, James." Peyton swayed a bit when she stood up to head to dance. She was only a little drunk, really.

James rose from his chair slowly and the two made it to the dance floor.

"Having a good time?" Peyton asked sarcastically.

"What's the deal with that Nathan guy?" he asked as he spared him a glance.

"Haley is his ex."

"Oh."

"His ex-wife, actually."

Peyton enjoyed the second it took for the emotions to set on James' face. "But I thought Haley was like only twenty.."

"She is," Peyton told him. "It's a long story."

"Cliffnotes version?" James asked.

Peyton laughed. "Fine. Let's do the boy/girl scenario: Boy tries to make enemy brother jealous by taking away best girl friend. Boy and girl surprisingly fall in love. Boy marries girl junior year of highschool. Girl sings a duet, goes on tour, leaving boy alone. Boy and girl get annulment."

"They got married in highschool?"

"And seperated."

"And she went on tour?"

"Yup. But the rest of the story is better. See girl and boy are together right now."

James looked over to Nathan and Haley who were conversing quietly, but not looking at each other from their seperated chairs. Peyton noticed that Nathan had his eyes on Lucas and Brooke, making sure they didn't see them talking.

"But it's a secret, so you have to not tell."

James sighed. "I won't," he responded. James hesitated for a moment. "So if there a 'scenario' for you and that married guy we came with?"

Peyton stopped looking around and her eyes snapped to his. "Why?"

"Because he won't stop looking over here."

She stopped dancing for a moment, but brushed it off quickly. Back to her movements, Peyton sobered slightly. "That's a longer story."

"No cliffnotes?"

"It's more complicated than that..."

James nodded. Haley came up next to them then, asking to dance with her actual date. Peyton switched back to Nathan.

"You okay?" he asked her, now that she was being relatively quiet.

"I'm fine," Peyton replied, while trying to avoid his eyes.

"No you're not. What's up?"

"Just drop it Nathan," Peyton muttered as Brooke and Lucas neared them, Brooke towing Lucas by the hand.

"I think we need a change of partners," Brooke said with a smile. "Lucas can't dance, and I need someone who can. Genetics and evidence would say that Nathan can't dance either... so I'll take James."

Lucas rose his eyebrows at her. "Don't worry... it's just a little dancing."

"I know," Lucas said, although he gave James a warning glance.

"And... let's see- the only person Peyton hasn't danced with tonight is.. Lucas. Or Nathan with Haley."

None of them moved towards one another. "Oh come on, it's just one dance. What harm could it do?"

Peyton shared a glance with Lucas. Brooke had no idea...

_**start flashback**_

_"First date worthy?" Lucas asked as Peyton sat daintly down on the blanket laid out in the sand._

_"I haven't decided yet."_

_Lucas and Peyton were at their usual spot on the beach. It seemed to be their spot for the time being._

_"What else you got?"_

_As if on cue, a waiter appeared out of no where and handed them menus._

_"Dinner?" Lucas asked her._

_Peyton grinned as she opened hers to read._

_The sun was setting in the distance, giving the sky a glow. Lucas was finishing his last bits of his dinner when Peyton stripped off her top, revealing her bathing suit underneath._

_Lucas choked slightly on his food and Peyton rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, come on, you've seen this much haven't you?" Peyton asked referencing to herself. Lucas shook his head. "A whole hallway saw this much skin and you haven't? Shame."_

_Lucas rose to his feet. "Didn't your mother ever tell you to wait twenty minutes after eating to get in the water?" Peyton asked him. "I waited."_

_He laughed. "I don't remember that rule."_

_He made his way through the sand until he was standing in front of her. "I don't have anything to wear in the water," he told her._

_"I don't see a problem with that.."_

_"I guess I could wear my shorts...," Lucas continued, completely ignoring her. He trailed off when he looked at her face. The wind from the waves wipped her hair around it, and he reached up to move the strands away, tucking them behind her ear. He kissed her, for all that it was worth. This kiss was like nothing he had ever felt, with any of the select few he had ever kissed. It wasn't just lust, or a man's desire, but it was passionate and tender all at the same time. They moved away from one another, but Peyton kept hold on his hand._

_"So you want to swim, and then dance... or dance and then swim?" he asked her._

_"Dance?" Peyton asked confused._

_Lucas turned his head back slightly, and Peyton followed his gaze. Lucas nodded his head a little, and soft, slow music started to play. The waiter who had brought them their dinner had taken a portable player and put in on their blanket, which was now playing the romantic music to them._

_Peyton laughed._

_"What?" Lucas asked._

_"You are such a sap," Peyton answered with a smirk._

_"Ya know, some girls like this kind of stuff," he replied, fake annoyance lacing his voice._

_"I'm not some girls."_

_Lucas smiled at her. "You're not, are you?"_

_Peyton scoffed at his remark, but looked pleased all the same. Slowly, she brought her arms around his neck. Lucas put his on her hips._

_They danced in silence for a few moments, each of them allowing this moment of theirs to sink in, to remember it forever._

_"This song used to remind me of us.." Lucas said quietly._

I need a lover, who keeps me warm in side

She can discover anything she likes

She can pray that she could break a lot of things like my heart

_"...right after we broke off... whatever we were before."_

I'm sinking slowly, I see your face it's everywhere

Love can be so mean, but I don't even care

So I pray for the day you'll come back to me, it's not right

_Peyton listened to the words as the pair continued to sway to the music._

Don't be afraid, I'm gonna make everything o.k.

Tell me you'll stay, I never wanted us to break

You'll find your way,

You could have anything at all

So find your way

_Lucas planted a kiss on Peyton's hairline. Peyton rested her head against his chest._

I need you lover,

'Cause you mean that much to me

Girl do you wonder,

What it all could be

True romance

We could dance our lives away, it's so right

_Lucas was so tempted to tell her the enormity of his feelings right then.. that he loved her, but he didn't want to scare her away. In the same way, he was scared to lose her if he didn't._

_Peyton moved her head from his chest and looked up at him. Lucas could see tears in her eyes._

_"Peyton.."_

_Peyton let out a choked laugh. "Apparently I am like all the other girls, Luke."_

_Lucas didn't smile. "Why are you crying?" he asked her, bewildered._

_"The words... it just reminded me so much of the that time. I was an emotional trainwreck," she told him. Lucas had stopped dancing in his shock at her tears. "And now... here we are."_

_Lucas pulled her to him, squeezing her in a tight hug. "Yeah. We are."_

_Peyton pulled back from him, placing her hands on his chest. "I think I'm ready for that swim, now."_

_Lucas nodded. "Am I skinny dipping?"_

_"Not yet... can we wait on that? You know, can we take it slow?" she asked him._

_Lucas nodded slowly. "Slow sounds good."_

_All the same, she pulled on his shirt, sending the signal for him to raise his arms so she could ease it off him slowly. Peyton undid her own pants and threw them aside with his shirt. Lucas leaned in to kiss her, Peyton closing her eyes in preparation, but they were jolted open when she felt Lucas lift her up into the air and onto his shoulder._

_"Lucas!" she shrieked._

_She could feel Lucas laughing beneath her as he brought her over to the water._

_"Lucas- don't do it-"_

_Lucas dropped her right in the water, getting all of her wet. She came up, sputtering. He was still laughing at her, his eyes glowing with a new light._

_She sent a splash in his direction, which he returned. Peyton, of course, continued their 'fight' and kept splashing, letting out shrieks when the water hit her in the face. Now, she thought, this was first date worthy._

_**end flashback**_

Lucas turned his head slightly to look at Nathan and Haley, who were dancing a little ways away from him and Peyton. They didn't look nearly as uncomfortable as he felt right now. He kept his eyes searching the room... anything to avoid looking at Peyton. He needed to avoid looking at her, because he couldn't banish that exciting feeling he felt everytime he saw her tonight.

"Luke?"

Lucas tried not to flinch as her voice called his eyes back to her. As soon as his eyes met hers, he felt the familiar feeling he -associate-d with Peyton. It didn't help that she was so incredibly beautiful tonight. Her dress was tight and accenuated every one of her curves. She had even straightened her hair tonight, pulling it back off her face with clips that sparkled in the lights.

"Are you okay?", she asked, her eyes expressing her concern.

"Yeah," he answered, trying to look confused. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You just seem... " She shrugged. "Never mind."

Trying to change the subject, Lucas nodded over towards Nathan and Haley. Realizing he couldn't use his hands because they were resting on Peyton's waist, he squeezed his eyes shut. He was married, he reminded himself. He couldn't do this again.. he wouldn't.

"They seem pretty.."

"Comfortable?" Peyton nodded her head in agreement. Haley chose that moment to laugh at something Nathan said, tightening her hold on his neck. They were going to give themselves away, Peyton thought.

Peyton adjusted her own hands around Lucas' neck and she felt him stiffen. He dropped his hands from her waist like she had electrocuted him. She released her own arms and he stepped away immediately.

Peyton couldn't stop the hurt from showing in her face. Lucas rushed to fix his mistake. "I'm sorry- I- I just-" he tried desperately.

Peyton backed away from him and headed out the nearest door. Standing still for a second, he decided to go out after her.

**Well that was quite long. Reviews are always great:)**


	18. It's Still There

**A/N: Ok, so I was going to chop this chapter up..make it shorter. But I figure I've withheld Haley's secret long enough..so here it is. And please review of course. **

Nathan clung to Haley, all remnants of their argument earlier, forgotten. He silently thanked Brooke for 'making' them dance together. If he had to see James with her one more time...let's just say that James would not leave a happy- and healthy- person.

As if reading his mind, Haley interrupted his thoughts, saying, "So what do you think of James?" She paused slightly to gauge his reaction. "I think I might stay in touch with him..."

Now she felt Nathan stiffen, and his face hardened. "You're going to have a boyfriend?" he asked, his voice tight and tense.

Haley just laughed, readjusting her hands around his neck. Nathan felt shivers run throughout his body as her fingers brushed his bare skin. "I already have one," she answered. "Unless you're breaking it off with me..." she said, humor lacing her voice.

Nathan grinned in return. "I don't think you have any idea how much I want to kiss you right now."

Haley's eyes widened slightly. "You know you can't-"

"I know," Nathan replied simply. "But I still want to." His eyes strayed past her and a small smirk played across his lips. He nodded slightly in a direction over her shoulder. "They look happy."

Haley turned slightly, following his gaze. She cringed a little when she saw Lucas and Peyton dancing uncomfortably nearby. Lucas was looking at anywhere but Peyton, he couldn't be more obvious about it. "Maybe we should go break them up-"

Nathan shook his head quickly. "Let them keep dancing. If you break them up, then we won't get to dance together anymore."

Haley's eyes found their way back to Nathan's. She stared into them for a second, basking in the feel that resulted. But in the pit of her stomach, she knew it would be one of the last times she saw that look in his eyes. After she told him... it would be over.

Trying to shake off those thoughts and enjoy the night they did have, she smiled up at him. "I love you," she whispered.

Nathan pulled her to him, only slightly, to decrease the distance that they had to keep between them. "Me too."

The two rotated their motion, switching positions in their stance. Haley was turned just in time to see Peyton run off and out the door. Haley made to follow her, but Nathan held her back. "Nathan, let me go see if Peyton's alright," she hissed at him.

"Wait," Nathan said as he watched Lucas stand in a defeated stance in the middle of the dance floor. "If I know my brother, he'll go after her."

And sure enough, Lucas followed her out the door, not giving one glance at Brooke and James, who were dancing on the other side of the room.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Why did the party had to be on the fourth floor, where the only doors you can storm out of lead to the freezing, hundred degrees below zero weather, Peyton asked herself as she leaned on the ledge of the wall, looking over it to the view below.

She took a deep breath, trying to control herself and swallow the tears that were threatening to fall. Letting the breath out slowly, she started to rub her hands up and down her arms in an attempt to keep warm. Why do they even sell dresses without sleeves in New York?

What had just happened in there? She thought that her and Lucas were getting along fine. Was he really that disgusted by her that he couldn't even touch her? She couldn't stop the dry sob that left her throat. She had lived all these years without him, thinking about what they could have been constantly...but she was the one who had messed it up. She had given him up, and he had a right to be mad about it, to be disgusted with her. Tears clouded her eyes as she felt something rest on her shoulders.

Blinking her eyes rapidly, she turned to see Lucas now standing next to her. He had drapped the jacket of his tux over his shoulders. She noticed he had his arms crossed in front of him, something he never did.

Peyton thought of taking the jacket off, throwing it to the ground and then stomping on it... but then she thought of the goosebumps that were spreading across her arms and the way her teeth were chattering, and thought differently. At least the jacket made her a little warmer.

"You could've walked outside at anytime in Tree Hill without a jacket. Forget we weren't there anymore?"

Peyton had banished all signs of tears, but was sure that he had heard the strangled sob that issued from her throat moments before. But instead of being embarrassed or vulnerable, she did what she usually did as a teenager: acted tough.

"Do you really hate me that much, Lucas? That you can't even get through a three minute dance with me?" she asked in a harsh voice.

Lucas looked taken aback for a moment, but he recovered quickly. "That's definitely not the problem..." he said slowly. His eyes raked over her again. Why did she have to be so beautiful, he asked himself for the hundreth time that night.

**_start flashback_**

_He watched her as her hands flew over the sketch habitually, almost fluently, as she slowly created her latest sketch._

_"That's the first time I've seen you draw all summer..."_

_Peyton nodded. "Yup."_

_Lucas was silent for a moment, as he continued to watch her movements, mesmerized. "Why didn't you draw anything before?"_

_Peyton looked up from her drawing, shifting herself slightly on the bed beside him. The pencil became limp in her hand as she pursed her lips, as though thinking. "I guess I had no inspiration. There was nothing in my life that made me want to create anything."_

_Lucas was still watching her from his laying down position on her bed. Peyton situated herself so that she could lay down next to him, the pad and pencil still in her hands. They were now laying side by side, fitting just right on her mattress. Peyton rested her head against his shoulder, as her hand went back to work over the paper._

_"I think I could sit here and watch you draw all day..." he muttered softly._

_Peyton smiled meekly. "And you wouldn't get at all bored?" she asked him, grinning._

_"Not with you."_

_She gave him a gentle kiss next to his temple. He could feel his body heat up at her actions.. giving him the impulse to pull her into his arms and start kissing her senseless. But, they were taking it slow. And even as a guy, he could deal with that, he reassured himself. He could._

_He adjusted himself on the bed a bit to accommodate his new...uncomfortableness._

_"Can I ask you something?" Peyton said slowly, as if she was unsure of the outcome her question was going to bring._

_"Yeah..sure."_

_"That first night of the summer... why did you come to the beach?"_

_Lucas stopped fiddling with her fingers and froze. "I knew that you were going to be there," he replied with a cringe._

_"How?"_

_"Because you had been going to that same place on the beach, every night, since Jake was in jail."_

_Lucas forced himself to look at her, and found that her eyes held confusion. "How did you know that?"_

_He hesitated slightly. "The first night that Jake spent in jail, I came to check on you.. but you were leaving the house," he said slowly and then paused. "And I kinda followed you to the beach," he finished in an undertone._

_"You followed me?" Peyton asked, scandalized._

_"I wanted to make sure that you weren't doing anything..."_

_"Like going to buy drugs?" Peyton asked, being more staightforward._

_Lucas nodded shamefully. "I only wanted to make sure that you were okay."_

_She nodded while Lucas watched her carefully. "Are you mad?"_

_Peyton smiled. "Nope. But I am grateful. We really weren't even talking then..and you still looked out for me- even if it was by stalking me," she added with a laugh._

_Lucas smiled at her laugh. It was a wonderful sound to him, her laugh. His laugh had been the thing he had always loved about her, even when they were littler. It was probably the first thing he fell in love with about her... when he was, well, maybe ten or so._

_He smiled to himself at the memory, which Peyton caught._

_"What are you smiling about?"_

_"I was just thinking, how ever since I've been younger- like in Middle School- I've always had this...thing for you. It was more than a crush.."_

_"And there were never any other girls?" Peyton asked playfully._

_"Oh there were other girls," he replied, with a knowing smirk. "But I always felt something for you, even when I was with them."_

_Peyton was watching him, her mouth half open. "And I barely knew you existed," she answered, struggling not to smile._

_"Yeah," Lucas said, as he scratched the back of his neck, embarrassedly. "I knew that, too."_

_"You really are a stalker!" Peyton stated. "I feel like you've been watching me all my life. You probably know things about me that I don't.."_

_"I plan to," he replied, as he swept her up into his arms, crashing his lips a bit violently into hers. Peyton struggled while their mouths were still connected to sit up, to get better access to his warm mouth. He groaned into hers as she pushed against him. His thoughts were fogging, and he could only think of one thing...slow...they were taking it slow..._

_Lucas pulled back a little suddenly, leaving Peyton with a dazed look on her face. He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, so he could see her face better. He wanted to know every inch of her, every curve of her face, every line of her body, every dream she had.. he wanted to be able to help her achieve those dreams, to make her feel like she mattered, to make her feel wanted and special... he wanted everything for her, everything with her._

_**end flashback**_

But then she had left...all those years ago.

"Then what's the problem?" Peyton asked him, pulling him from his thoughts about the past.

Lucas forced out a breath. He moved so he could rest his arms on the wall beside her, twirling the wedding ring on his finger.

Peyton turned her head as she heard the door open, again, behind them. Brooke was in the doorway, looking timidly at Peyton. "Are you okay, Peyton? I saw you leave the room.."

Peyton turned from the wall and Lucas, walking back to her friend. "Yeah...I just needed some air. I wasn't feeling very well."

Brooke nodded, her eyes glancing past her to Lucas, who was still leaning on the wall, his head lowered, as if in shame. "Luke?"

Lucas' head jerked up. "Are you coming back in?" Brooke asked, her confusion at his actions evident.

His eyes met Peyton's for a second, but Peyton looked away quickly, ducking back inside. A few moments later, Brooke and Lucas followed. Brooke bumped into Peyton who had stopped in her tracks, only a few feet into the room.

"Peyton what-" Brooke started, but her voice died out and her mouth dropped open in shock. She glanced at Lucas, whose eyebrows were raised, and then to Peyton, who was smiling. Then her eyes were drawn back to what was in front of her: Nathan and Haley were locked in a kiss, in the middle of the dance floor.

XOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

As Peyton walked the couple of steps up to her apartment, she turned to wave good-bye to Brooke in her car. Her and Brooke, and to Peyton's chagrin, Lucas, had gone to get a bite to eat. She had convinced the other two to leave to party to give Nathan and Haley their moment together, and they had gone to get a snack at a little restaurant. Peyton grinned to herself at the looks on Lucas' and Brooke's faces. They were... priceless. Party dress for the worst party ever: $50. Arguing once again with Lucas: 10 pounds of gained fat from eating a whole carton of ice cream when she got home. Seeing Nathan and Haley spill their not-so-secret-anymore-relationship: Priceless. She was such a dork, she thought to herself.

But in the back of her head, Lucas' words seemed to echo. The response to her questioning his supposed hatred towards her: "That's definitely not the problem..." What was that supposed to mean, she thought furiously to herself. Was he implying what she thought he was: that he didn't hate her... that it was something else..?

She opened up the door, expecting to see Nathan and Haley snuggled up on the couch, but saw the complete opposite. All thoughts of Lucas immediately were pushed aside. Haley was curled up in a ball, a pillow hugged to her chest for some sort of comfort, and Peyton could hear the strangled sobs issuing from her. Dropping her bag to the the floor, Peyton lowered herself gently onto the couch next to Haley, putting a hand on her arm. Haley didn't look up at her, but continued to cry, the tears bouncing down her face and onto her sweatshirt that she had changed into.

"So you told Nathan, then?" Peyton asked, gently.

Haley nodded, while frantically trying to wipe her face dry, as she looked up at Peyton. The action was to no avail due to the fact that more tears kept pouring out.

"What happened? What did he say?"

Haley opened her mouth and told the story through her tears.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Haley and Nathan came into hers and Peyton's apartment, finding it to be dark and empty.

"Where did they all go- Peyton, Brooke and Lucas? They just kinda disappeared from the party, after they all went through that door.." Haley wondered out loud.

"Well.. they're not here... And I know that we have an entire apartment to ourselves, alone for the first time in months..." Nathan started.

"And that we could take full advantage of our alone time...is that what you're thinking?" Haley asked as she dropped her bag onto the table.

"Maybe," Nathan replied as he lowered his lips slowly and sensuously onto hers. But then he broke the kiss and backed up a bit, releasing his hands that had intwined themselves around Haley's back. "Maybe not," he continued playfully.

Haley smiled and rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said airly. "Guess I'll go call James and see if he wants to come over to this big, empty apartment," Haley said as she slowly sauntered over to the phone.

Nathan stiffened a bit, but his smile didn't fade until Haley started to dial the phone. He rushed over to grab it from her, while Haley tried to hold it over her head. Nathan didn't even have to reach to get the phone from her hand, which he threw onto the couch.

"Changed your mind?" Haley asked him, with a grin.

She found her hands slowly undoing his tie, and Nathan's hands were on her face, bringing hers up to his, to meet. Enveloped by passion, neither bothered to lock the door to the house, or make sure that no one would walk on on them. At this point, neither had the inkling to care.

The only thing that stopped them was Haley's dress. "What is this thing glued on you?" Nathan asked, his voice deeper than usual, as he struggled to get her dress from the party off. Nathan, himself, was only down to his dress pants.

"Don't rip it!" Haley replied. "It cost me a fortune," she said as he still pulled on it. She slapped his hands away. "Let me go change, into something I know can come easy enough for you. Zippers all right?"

Nathan gave her a look and Haley went to find herself something.

Moments later she was back. She could feel Nathan's mouth on her neck, the feeling sending sensations throughout her body. But something was holding her back... a feeling that had been in the back of her mind, in the back of her heart for a while now. It was guilt. She had to tell him tonight.. that was the plan, she remembered. Haley pulled back a little, and Nathan sat back up, a confused look on his face.

"Nathan I... I need to tell you something. I've been... keeping something from you, for a while now. I don't think that it's fair to you... not to know..."

Nathan swallowed visibly. Just her tone was making him nervous. "Okay.." he replied slowly, moving away from her on the couch.

Haley opened her mouth and shut it again. This was bad, Nathan thought. A million thoughts started to run through his head. Did she want to break-up? Did she meet someone else? Was she leaving on tour again, only to leave him behind?

"I don't know where to begin," she muttered softly. Nathan's face clenched as she grabbed his hands in hers, bringing them to a her mouth. She kissed them gently. His brain flashed back to the last time she had done that- when she had told him that she had been offered to go on the tour... when she had told him that she kissed Chris...

"Years ago... when I first came back from the tour at the beginning of the summer before senior year..." she began tentatively, but stopped, biting her lip.

"Haley..", Nathan said as he took one of his hands out of her grasp to touch her face gently- but Haley backed away, tears springing to her eyes. She shook her head rapidly, and Nathan could see her chest rise and fall faster as her rate of breathing increased.

"I didn't just come back to see you.. to try and resolve us... " she continued, a tear falling slowly down her face. "I came to tell you something."

She paused again. Nathan was actually scared; she was acting as if the world was ending.

"I was- we were- I came back because...I was pregnant," Haley said, as she clenched her eyes shut.

Maybe the world was ending.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Brooke and Lucas' ride back to their own home was quiet. One of those uncomfortable kind of quiets, where neither one really had anything to say to each other. Lucas didn't like it, because it left him to ponder his own thoughts. What had possessed him to say to Peyton that the problem wasn't that he hated her... Why? What must she be thinking now...

And why had he really said it?

"What were you and Peyton doing outside?" Brooke's voice asked, shattering his thoughts about Peyton. Sitting with his wife, thinking about Peyton...

Lucas cleared his throat. "Like she said.. she didn't feel well. I followed her to see if she was all right."

Brooke nodded and Lucas could tell that she didn't believe him. She didn't press the matter any further though.

The silence was back and so were Lucas' thoughts. Why had he really said that? He didn't hate her. He should after what she did to him... but he didn't. She had broken his heart, but he didn't hate her for it. What was worse, he couldn't even stop thinking about her. It was Peyton... the Peyton he had been in love with for half of his life...

And then the realization hit him: He had never fallen out of love with her, had he? That was why he didn't hate her, because he couldn't.

He still loved her. Lucas Scott was still in love with Peyton Sawyer.

That was the new thought that plagued his mind as Brooke shifted in her seat beside him.

**Well..Haley's secret...pregnant three years ago...so what happened to said baby? And with Lucas' new revelation..what's to come for present LP? Please review! Thanks :)**


	19. Done For Good

**A/N: Kudos to those of you who guessed Haley's secret from the past..and thanks for all the wonderful reviews:)**

"I came back because... I was pregnant.."

The words echoed over and over again in Nathan's head. "How-what..." he stammered. Haley flinched as he quickly removed his hand, that had been resting on her leg, and started to pace the floor.

"Nathan, let me explain..." Haley called to him, desperately. "Please."

Nathan caught the look on her face, the tears welled up in her eyes... and he stopped pacing.

She sniffed and cleared her throat. "When I came back to tell you... I was already three months pregnant-"

"It was mine right? The- the baby?"

Haley gave him a look. "Of course it was, Nathan. Don't start up with the Chris nonsense," she continued wearily.

"I was on the tour still when I found out, obviously... so I figured I should-"

"At least let me know about it right?" Nathan interrupted again. "How thoughtful."

Haley winced, but continued as though she hadn't heard him. "So I came back, and then the whole thing with your dad happened... and I didn't have the heart to tell you. You were already so upset about that, I couldn't bare to lay something else on you."

"Haley- you were my wife, still. That wouldn't have been 'laying something else on me', if would have been telling me the truth! We could've..." but he stopped, and shook his head. He grabbed his shirt that was lying on the ground and put it back on, the moment they were having obviously ruined.

"I was going to tell you!" Haley exclaimed, as Nathan shoved on his shoes. "That night, after the funeral. When you said you were leaving for High Flyers in the morning... and that if I wanted to continue our marriage I should just come back at the end of the summer."

"So that's the real reason you didn't come back?" Nathan roared at her. "What was the reason you gave me that you never came back because of...? Oh- that you didn't want to come back to a dead relationship and give up your dream!"

Haley was shaking slightly, trying not to break down totally in front of him. "Nathan," she said gently. "I didn't want you to have to give up High Flyers for me, or anything else. If I had told you I was pregnant that night, would you have gone to for the summer?"

The cold look in Nathan's eyes softened slightly and he shook his head.

"And would you be playing basketball now, and going to college?"

Nathan shook his head again, a little sadly. He sunk onto the couch, looking defeated. He was silent for a moment. "But you took away something else away, Haley. Yeah, you let me keep playing basketball, to go to college..." He paused for a moment, clearing his throat. "But I would have given up all of that in an instant... to have a family with you. We could still be married... we could have a baby, and a family..."

Haley couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her face. "You don't know how many times I've thought that myself, Nathan."

Nathan ran his hands through his hair, in frustration. "Where's the baby now, Haley? Did you have it? What happened?"

This was the part of the conversation that Haley had been dreading. When Haley didn't answer right away, Nathan paled considerably. "You didn't have an abortion, did you?"

Haley shook her head. "No. I remembered what we talked about." When the two had decided to get married and have sex, they had had that discussion about what would happen if Haley got pregnant. Both were against abortions, no matter the situation. Haley knew, for Nathan, that it had to do with his own brother almost not existing... and Haley just couldn't do something like that.

"Then you had it?" Nathan asked her gently.

She nodded, and couldn't restrain the sob that she had been holding in for the whole conversation. "I was still on the tour, but not singing... I was well taken care of, don't worry."

"What- by Chris?" Nathan asked her sarcastically. Haley looked away from him. Nathan made a disgusted noise and Haley sobbed again.

"I had the baby here, in New York. It was a girl... a beautiful baby girl. Her eyes were as blue as yours..."

Nathan got off the couch again, trying to decide whether he was more angry at Haley for lying to him all this time... or for taking away the opportunity to see their baby.. to hold their baby. Their baby. He squeezed his eyes shut against a surprise burning sensation of tears.

"..and I gave her up," Haley said in a broken voice. "I didn't even bring her back from the hospital... I gave her up right there."

Nathan's first instinct was to comfort her... but he couldn't. How many times had she lied to him now... hurting him in the process? This was the biggest, most heartbreaking lie of all.

But curiosity took over. "To who?" Nathan asked, not even noticing his own voice was choked.

Haley's lip trembled, but she didn't answer. "You're not going to tell me, are you?" Nathan demanded of her.

"Do you lie about everything! First about kissing Chris... then about the baby... how many other things are there that I don't know about?"

"Nothing, Nathan, I swear.." Haley said as she rose off of the couch and tried to grab his hand. He backed away from her.

"I forgave you for everything Haley," Nathan said softly. "For kissing Chris, for leaving me for the tour... for not coming back at the end of the summer to be with me, for signing the annulment papers. I forgave everything because I wanted us to be together. To have a clean slate- without the marriage.. without any of it. I did that because I wanted to be with you."

"We can still have that.." Haley stammered weakly.

Nathan shook his head slowly and sadly. "You had our baby, Haley. Our baby. And then you gave it up, like she meant nothing to you-"

"-Nathan, you don't know how hard it was to do that... I.."

"And then you kept it a secret- for three years!" Nathan went on, not even hearing what Haley said. "We have a daughter- somewhere- that's three years old. She can probably talk and walk. What was her first word? What's her favorite stuffed animal that she can't sleep without?"

He stopped ranting, his chest rising and falling rapidly. "I don't even know where she lives... when she was born.."

"November 15th..." Haley supplied. "At two in the morning."

"I wasn't even there with you... to help you.."

Nathan looked broken. It was unusual for Haley to see him this way... he had gotten emotional with her around.. but it wasn't like this. He looked defeated, sad... maybe even devastated. He got up abruptly and headed towards the door.

"Nathan.." Haley pleaded, but didn't make to follow him. "Please understand. I did it for you. I didn't tell you, for you."

"It wasn't your choice to make, Haley," Nathan said, his hand on the doorknob, his face towards the door. "We're done," he said, while his voice cracked. "For good this time."

His hand turned the doorknob, and the door opened. He cringed as he heard Haley's sobs behind him.

"Tree Hill," she managed to say to his back. "She was adopted by a couple back at Tree Hill. They named her Emma."

Nathan froze in the doorway, but didn't turn back around.

"Nathan please... please don't do this."

But he bit his lip and kept going, shutting the door behind him.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Lucas lay in his bed, waiting for sleep, but it didn't come. His brain wouldn't shut down tonight, and he knew exactly why: Peyton. It was exasperating really. He just couldn't stop thinking about her.. and it was driving him absolutely crazy.

And then there was Nathan and Haley. Where did that come from? How long had they been sneaking around for? All those stupid talks him and Nathan had had, over games of one-on-one, about why he wasn't with Haley, or Chris still working with Haley- they had been together all this time! He should give Nathan a kick in the a- wait did Peyton know about them? She didn't seem surprised about it at all. She only smiled, that perfect smile of hers... back to Peyton then. Shifting in his bed, a memory came to mind.

_**start flashback**_

_He heard Peyton sigh in her sleep next to him, and her head nestled itself further into the hole it had created at the base of his shoulder and his chest. Her hand pressed itself onto his chest, directly above his heart. He pulled her closer to him, so her curls were pressed up against his face. He buried his face in them, trying to get back to sleep. He had been awake for an hour, since waking up in the middle of the night, his chest hurting him. It was like a dull ache, resounding from his heart. Lucas knew that probably couldn't be good, but he didn't have any more medicine to take for his HCM and since Dan was dead and his mother was still in New Zealand, there was no one to pay for a new order of pills. There was nothing to do... but deal with the pain. This wasn't the first night he had woken up feeling like this, but it was the first time that Peyton was there when it happened. He had decided to spend the night at her house, just to sleep, nothing more. But he decided that was good enough for him._

_He shifted again, trying to reduce the pain he was feeling, while trying to not wake Peyton. Peyton moved again, pushing her hand harder onto his chest. He winced and sucked in a breath involuntarily. He waited for a few seconds and she didn't move again. Lucas took note that she was still asleep and pressed his eyes shut, begging for sleep to come._

_"Luke...?" came a mumble from below his own head._

_"Yeah?" Lucas asked without opening his eyes._

_"Why is your heart beating so fast?"_

_Lucas' eyes popped open and he moved his head off of hers, only to find Peyton's eyes meeting his own. Her hand didn't move from on top of his heart. Her eyes didn't hold any sign of fatigue you usually see when someone wakes up, but instead, they held concern._

_"What's wrong?" she asked him._

_Lucas didn't respond, but looked away from her persisting eyes, instead. "Nothing," he said eventually._

_She was silent for a moment. "Then why would you flinch when I pushed against you... and why wouldn't you have been sleeping the past hour?"_

_His eyes widened and he brought his gaze back to meet hers, a questioning look upon his face._

_"It's hard to sleep when you keep wiggling all over the place," she responded quietly to his silent question. She wore a slight smirk on her face and she -thankfully- removed her hand from his chest. "Now what's going on?"_

_"I told you- nothing," Lucas responded, slightly hesitantly. He knew that Peyton was going to see right through him... and she did, he could see it in her expression._

_"Does it hurt..your heart?"_

_Lucas bit the inside of his cheek. He didn't want to worry her, but he didn't want to lie to her either._

_Peyton made to move off the bed, but Lucas grabbed onto her arm. "What are you doing?" he asked her, bewildered._

_"I'm going to take you to the hospital," she told him primly._

_"Peyton.."_

_"Come on," she said, as she tried to pull on the arm that was attached to hers, up with her._

_"I don't need to go to the hospital," he said as he sat himself up on the bed to face a standing Peyton. He winced again as he did so, putting a hand involuntarily to his chest._

_She gave him an "I -told-you-so" look, but he shook his head. "I don't need the hospital," he repeated. "The- the doctor said that if I was to stop taking my medicine at any time... that this could happen."_

_It was a lie. The truth of the matter was that this was probably not normal, but he wasn't about to drag Peyton down to the hospital in the middle of the night, nor did he have the money to pay for it._

_Peyton was examining him slowly. "Are you sure?" she sighed._

_She had believed him. Lucas felt bad for lying, but at this point, it was necessary. So, he nodded, in response._

_Coming over to kneel next to him on the bed, she scambled up close to him. Lucas brought himself up into the same kneeling position, facing her and trying to ignore the sharp pain that seared through him. Her head was almost level with his at this position and she was looking up at him strangely._

_"Let me help you pay for your medication, Lucas," she said gently. "My father left me plenty of money before he went to work..."_

_Lucas shook his head adamantly. "I'm not going to take your money," he said as he brought both of her hands up into his._

_"Please," Peyton pleaded as her tiny hands squeezed his. "I..." she trailed off._

_"What?" he asked her, quietly._

_"I don't want to lose you."_

_Lucas swallowed the lump that formed in the back of her throat at her words._

_"You won't, Peyton," he responded in a whisper._

_"You don't know that," she choked back, her voice tight and tense._

_He pulled her against her chest, not caring if it hurt or not. Wrapping his arms around her, Peyton curled up her arms and leaned into him, lying her head on his shoulder. He could smell the shampoo that she always used in her hair. It reminded him of flowers and of meadows. Happy days and careless moments. Like moments with her._

_**end flashback**_

She had helped him pay for a bottle, which he still felt guilty for even today.

XOXOXOXOXOXXOOXXOOXOXOXOXOXOXXOXO

Nathan's roommate, Tom, greeted him from his seat on the couch when he entered the room.

"Hey, I was getting worried, it's almost two in the morning."

Nathan glanced at the clock for confirmation. Guess that was a long walk that he took. "What are you still doing up?" he asked, reaching for something to talk about other than what he had been doing for the past few hours.

Tom scrunched up his face. "Chemistry exam tomorrow. Have to pull an all-nighter. Besides- it's your night for the bedroom. When's Haley getting here?"

Nathan gritted his teeth at the mere sound of her name. "You can have the room every night from now on, Tom."

Tom stared. "Something happen with you and Haley?" he asked tentatively. He didn't think they were able to actually have an argument about anything.

"Yeah- reality." And with that, Nathan stormed into their room and slammed the door shut behind him.

Tom, with a muttered "okay", went back to his fascinating chemistry.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXXO

The next morning, Peyton found herself standing outside of Lucas' and Brooke's house. After last nights fiasco, she was amazed at her own bravery to get here, but now ashamed of her own cowardice to knock on the door. She ran her hands up and down her arms to banish the goosebumps. She had come to the realization that she hated the cold. A lot. How long had she been standing out here... five.. ten minutes? Taking a deep breath and shaking her head at her own lack of gall, she raised her hand to knock on the door. She was inches away when it opened and Brooke was on the other side, a look of humor on her face.

"I just saw you out here... sorry," she said as she stepped aside for Peyton to come in through the door. "Lucas was the one that's been watching you stand out there. I only just figured out what he was staring at so adamantly for the past ten minutes."

Brooke threw a glare in his direction as he disappeared into their bedroom. Peyton rolled her eyes at his adolescant behavior. Just because they... felt uncomfortable with each other at the moment was no reason to leave her outside - in the cold – for ten minutes. Of course she had been the one that had stood outside his doorstep. But that was different. Really. It wasn't adolescant at all. And now hiding in his room- what a child! She was glad that he was in there. She didn't have to see his stupid face then... okay, so maybe they were both children.

"I actually have a favor to ask of you... and Lucas, if he can get himself back out here," Peyton began tentatively.

"Sure," Brooke responded, as Lucas came back out into the room, not meeting Peyton's gaze.

"I need someone to take me to Nathan's dorm- I don't know the way there or where his room is."

"Okay," Brooke said slowly. "But I'm sure he'll be here later. He's always here, remember?"

Peyton shook her head. "No, he won't be."

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked, speaking for the first time.

Peyton sighed. "Him and Haley..."

"Don't tell me they broke up- right after we just found out about them!" Brooke whined.

"Something like that," Peyton replied. "And I want to go talk to him about it," she continued. "And Brooke, I was wondering if you could maybe take Haley somewhere today. Somewhere fun. You're good at the cheering up thing."

Brooke nodded, and Peyton could see the mall and movie plans forming in her head already. "I can do that," she replied.

"Good," Peyton said. "Just don't mention Nathan," she warned.

**Nothing too exciting...right? Next up, Peyton and Nathan talk and a special LP flashback. :) Please review!**


	20. The Perfect Moment

**A/N: Srry it's been so long. Got swept up in college and everything. Here is a loooong update just to make up for it :) Please review!**

How come she hadn't have seen this coming? Why hadn't Peyton thought that far ahead? How had she ended up in the car with him?

On Peyton's request for Brooke to drive her over to Nathan's before taking over the situation with Haley, darling Brooke had pointed out that Lucas had been about the go over to play basketball with Nathan anyways, so he could just drive her over there at the same time. Although Peyton had plastered a fake grin on her face and agreed, it didn't mean she was happy with it. Trying not to make a scene with Brooke present, Peyton got in the car with a willing Lucas, who still wouldn't look her straight in the face. From what she knew, Brooke didn't even know that her and Lucas had been together over the summer. She was determined to keep it that way. For Brooke to know nothing about the summer, about the declarations her and Lucas had made to each other, about her still... it was just better off this way. For everyone.

"Peyton," his voice sounded quietly, coming into her thoughts abruptly. Peyton's gaze focused in on him, while he determinedly kept his eyes on the road in front of him. "About last night... the way I was acting..." He swallowed visibly. "I was being a jerk. I..." Why was this so hard to get out? "I just got overwhelmed... by memories... of us."

Peyton looked away from him and into her lap. That wasn't what she had expected. She nodded, trying to deny- to herself- that she had felt the same thing last night when they were dancing.

"I-" he went to continue, but Peyton stopped him, coming to her senses. They couldn't have this conversation. "Don't," she said with a fierce shake of her head. "There's no point in talking about this, Lucas. You and I are done. We were done years ago. We.." She needed a lie. A good, convincing lie to make him stop talking about their 'relationship'- in the past and the present. "I know I don't feel that way about you anymore."

She thought she saw a flash of pain cross over his face. But it was gone before she could really wonder about it. Maybe she imagined it. "Right," he said blankly. "We've both moved on in our lives. That's all there is to it." Hopefully, he sounded convincing. "I want to be friends, though- we are friends, right?"

Peyton could only bring herself to smile slightly. "Yeah, we are."

Lucas nodded, but Peyton could see that his eyes looked sad. "Here we are," he said.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Peyton and Lucas ran into Nathan in the hallway, a drink and a bag of chips ready in his hands. "Hey, you ready to play?" Nathan asked Lucas, until his gaze fell on Peyton. "Come to watch?" He asked her, with a smile that didn't quite reach his blue eyes.

"Actually, I came to talk to you about something- before I watch, of course."

Nathan's smile faded, and his eyes flicked between Lucas and Peyton. "What's going on?" he asked, slowly, but then his face became stiffer when he figured out what the topic of their conversation was probably going to be. Did Peyton know about the baby? She at least knew that Haley and him had argued last night. She was roommates with Haley, after all. "Do we have to?" he asked, Peyton, who nodded.

She turned her head to Lucas, who looked confused, at the least. "Can we have a few minutes?"

He nodded, his eyes betraying the questions he wanted to ask about what was happening. But he held his tongue. "I'll be in the gym, Nate."

Nathan didn't answer him, but motioned to Peyton for them to start walking down the street, hopefully in the direction of somewhere warm. She really, really hated the cold. Could they walk to Miami? I wonder how long that would take...

Pushing these silly thoughts out of her head, she dared a glance at Nathan. His eyes were darker today than she had seen them and his skin had a pale twinge to it. This was not good.

"I wanted to see how you were doing," Peyton told him. "So- how are you doing?"

Nathan sighed. "In general... or after last night?"

She gave him a look and he nodded once. "After last night, then."

"Uh-ha."

He didn't say anything for a few moments, and Peyton wondered if he was going to answer. Eventually they came to a bench, where Nathan sat down heavily, looking older than she had ever seen him.

"This is the bench where Haley and I initially decided to try dating again- when she came back," he said quietly, waving his hand at the bench. Peyton sat down next to him, probably in the same spot Haley had been. "I had been harboring feelings of anger towards her... feelings of frustration. I was so angry because she didn't come back to be with me at the end of the summer. To me- we were done. I no longer had Haley." He seemed to struggle with himself for a moment, but continued. "But when I saw her, when she came here to me... those feelings disappeared. Or I ignored them. I was so stupid," he interjected furiously. "She came back out of nowhere, after I had to end our marriage, and told me- what was the line? 'I was empty without you' or something stupid like that. I can't believe I fell for that!"

"Nathan, she-"

"No! Don't make excuses for her," he said, rounding on her. "I should've sent her away... I shouldn't have taken her back..."

Peyton bit her lip. "You did it because you love her," she said, earning a disgruntled noise from Nathan. "You were brave, Nathan. You didn't run from the person you love... like I did. You gave her a chance, and you opened up your heart again- even though you knew there was that chance that you could be hurt again by her. You loved her too much to let her go."

Nathan fiddled with the hem of his sweatshirt. "Maybe loving someone too much is the reason people can't be together sometimes. Maybe that's why it's always messed up."

"Don't think that Nathan.."

"Why not- look at me and Haley... you and Lucas. It's all the same, isn't it?"

Peyton shook her head, almost imperceptibly. "I... but I left Lucas. You took back Haley. You two are the ones with real love. Real, true love that comes around only once in life."

Nathan put his head back in exasperation, resting it on the back of the bench. She squeezed his eyes shut against the light of the sun. "How much do one know about why we argued last night?"

Peyton shifted in her seat, almost uncomfortably. "All of it."

He lifted his head back up to look at her, a little shocked. "I guess Haley doesn't have a problem telling people... other than me, of course."

"You know that's not true. I'm the only one who knows."

"Quite a secret keeper, aren't you?"

Peyton raised her eyebrows and nodded in affirmation. "Haley actually told me a little while after she found out she was pregnant. In September, after I had left for the Bahamas already... after she didn't come back for you at the start of the school year."

Peyton waited for the outburst.. she knew it was coming. "You knew!" he asked loudly, and Peyton cringed. "And you didn't tell me?"

"I'm sorry I didn't... it wasn't my place to tell you."

Nathan's chest was rising and falling as though he had just run a mile. "I could have known... I could have stopped her from giving the baby up..." his voice drifted off quietly.

No outburst? She had expected yelling, accusations... not this..raw, open pain. She put her hand on his arm. "Haley was desperate Nathan. You should have heard her on the phone. She was so... conflicted. The choices to her were this: First was keep everything to herself, give up the baby in the end, and continue life like nothing had happened. The one she ultimately picked. The other was to tell you. To let you have a say in the situation-"

"Which is what should've happened."

Peyton held her hands up in the air. "I'm not here to take sides. Haley doesn't even know I'm here. I just wanted give you some reasons of why she did it. What her reasonings were at the time."

Nathan sighed heavily and Peyton continued. "Haley told me that if you knew... that you would want to keep the baby. That your heart was too full of good to give it up."

He looked at Peyton with an unreadable expression. "She said that?"

"And she was right, wasn't she?"

Silence took the moment until a murmured 'yes' came from Nathan. "With that conclusion, she knew that both of you would have to give up what you loved, and your futures. And she didn't want that. So she didn't tell you."

Nathan ran a hand through his already disheveled hair, completing his haphazard appearance to match his confused state of mind. "I can't handle all of this."

"She made a mistake, Nathan. People make them."

"A mistake?", he asked, his voice disbelieving. "A mistake is putting down the wrong choice on a test, forgetting to go pick your pick something, not having a baby in secret and lying to the father of the child about it for three years!"

Peyton nodded sympathetically. "That's true. It's all true. There's no excuse for what she did... but I think I was in the same situation, I would have made the same decision Haley did."

Nathan looked like she had hit him. "What?"

"It makes sense. She gave up something for another, the one that made the most sense to her."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Nathan replied, getting up from the bench.

"You wouldn't understand unless you were the one put in the situation at the time, Nathan," Peyton said, still from her seat on the bench.

"Well, I wouldn't know, because no one bothered to tell me I was the father of a child!" he threw back at her loudly, earning looks from passerby's on the footpaths.

"It's different when you're the one carrying the child, Nate. Did you ever think about that? How scary it must have been for her... she was the one whose life was going to change majorly for months, and she kept it to herself. Instead of pulling you out of your life, she did the most unselfish thing possible and made it so if didn't affect your life at all."

"I wish it had affected my life, Peyton. Do you know how much I have wanted... maybe not necessarily a baby, but... I want a family again, Peyton," he said, his voice cracking. "I wanted Haley to be my wife again. Being married was different from dating. I woke up every morning next to her. I was able to hug her to me while she was still sleeping, hear things she muttered while half awake. There was this feeling of being the sole provider for her, the one with the responsibility to make sure that she was happy, that she got everything she ever wanted. I never really had anyone to rely on before her, or anyone that relied on me." He swallowed. "I'm not saying I wanted to try to have a baby with Haley at that time, we were too young.. but if the situation presented itself, like it did, I wouldn't have wanted anything else but to have and keep our baby. We would have been a family. A young, inexperienced family, but still... it would have been better than how I feel now." He collapsed back down on the bench. Shrugging his shoulders, he said in a cold voice, "And know I don't want anything with her."

"That's not true... you're just..."

"Betrayed, angry... heartbroken?"

Peyton didn't know what to say. There was nothing she could say to make him feel better about any of this.

"Could you not tell her- Haley, about any of this..please? If you're going to tell her something..tell her all the mean things I said," he said harshly.

Peyton smiled slightly. "Okay."

"Why do things always have to be complicated? Things should be simple. One person loves the other, while the other loves them back. What's so hard about it?"

"Sometimes there's other people... or other situations that get in the way. That are more important about loving that other person. Like friendship, or doing what you think is right." She paused. "But in the end... both people get hurt anyways."

Nathan knew that they were talking about him and Haley as much as Lucas and Peyton. "People always leave, right?"

Peyton shook her head, remembering the artwork she had done a long time ago. "Sometimes they come back."

"Yeah."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Peyton had never felt more badly for anyone in her life. Nathan wasn't angry as much as he was... heartbroken, she guessed.

"You ready to go watch an exhilarating game of one-on-one?"

Peyton rose from the bench. "I guess so," she replied, feigning a look of disgust. "You're going to beat him, right?"

Nathan smiled again, but his eyes were still sad. They had lost that light, the glow that had always accompanied his eyes when Haley was in his life. "For you I will."

"Good. It's going to be okay, Nathan. Everything will work out in time." With a little prodding from her, it will. Nathan and Haley are going to be together if it is the last thing she ends up doing.

"Thanks, Peyton."

_**start flashback**_

_"I've been looking for the perfect place to have a date at, Peyton, and I think I've found it."_

_He sat himself down in the stool next to her in his mother's cafe. Since she was still out of town, it was closed, so they had the whole place to themselves. And Peyton was definitely taking advantage of his newly discovered cooking skills._

_"What do you mean- you've been looking?"_

_"I've been looking," he repeated with a shrug. "You'll just have to come get in the car with me and find out what."_

_A few minutes later, Lucas stopped the car in the middle of nowhere. "Did you bring me out here to kill me?" Peyton asked, looking around after she got out of the car. Lucas opened up the trunk, pulling out a blanket and a basket. "Maybe," he replied with a devious grin._

_He managed to hold the blanket and basket with one arm, and he took her hand with his free one, pulling her along into the woods. The woods weren't very thick, but Lucas made sure that no branches scratched or hit Peyton along the way. Eventually, Peyton saw sunlight, and the trees opened up to an open area. It was a field, completely covered with flowers of different varieties. Stretched out in front of them was a sea of purples, reds, pinks, and yellows._

_Lucas glanced at Peyton, whose mouth had dropped open slightly. Grinning at the response, he pulled her along more until they were to middle of the field. "Lucas... this is... how did you find this?"_

_He shrugged his shoulders. "I looked."_

_"We established that already," she said as he laid the blanket down on a patch where no flowers had grown and plopped down on it. She sat herself next to him, but he pulled her closer so she was sitting in between his legs, her back and head resting against him._

_"It smells like you."_

_"What?" Peyton asked, slightly taken aback._

_"The flowers, this field. It smells like you. I've been looking for a place that would remind me of you.. and here it is."_

_She turned to look at him, which was difficult in their position. With a wistful smile, she kissed him chastely on the mouth, then the cheek and down his face and neck._

_"You like it then?" Lucas asked, with a laugh._

_She got up from her seat as Lucas started to pull food out of the basket. "You're trying to make me fat, I know you are." She found herself walking through the wild flowers, that were as tall as her knees. The serenity of the atmosphere was almost magic like. It was like they had transported to a separate world- one all of their own. Lucas grabbed her from behind and lifted her up, while she started in surprise. He twirled her around once, set her back on the ground and put his hands on hers hips to turn her to face him. Those same hands somehow managed to push her against him, so their hips and beyond were pressed together._

_Peyton found herself staring in those brilliant blue eyes. He leaned in to kiss her, his hands still on her hips, while Peyton's found their way to his back. She deepened the kiss, one of his hands coming to her face to cup it. She loved it when he did that. It felt so possessive... so protective. The moment turned passionate, and Lucas began to kiss her senselessly... amazingly. The hand that was on her face was now in her hair, while one of her hands ended up on his low back, pulling him into her. The need for more exploded within Peyton, but Lucas pulled back from her, panting slightly._

_"Peyton... I didn't come out here for this. I know you want to wait... want to take it slow." He was having trouble thinking coherent thoughts as he rested his forehead against hers._

_"I thought you wanted to wait too.." she said slowly, trying to catch her breath._

_"I want to do whatever you want to do, Peyt."_

_She kissed him with quick, successive kisses, leaving his lips tingling. "You know we only have four more days until the summer's over. Everyone's coming back home."_

_Lucas almost groaned. No one had to remind him of that. He had been dreading that day for weeks now. It would be the end of this... amazing summer. They had had their own little world for months now, and he didn't want to give it up. Ever._

_He realized that she was waiting for a response from him. "Yeah, I know. But that doesn't mean that we have to sleep together just because the summer is ending. I mean- you know I want to-" he said, earning a slightly, embarrassed grin from Peyton, "but I don't want you to feel like we'd be rushing things."_

_Peyton hung her head slightly, and Lucas reached down to her, lifting her chin. "What's the matter?" he asked, gently._

_Her tongue darted out over her bottom lip, increasing Lucas'... frustration. Focus, he demanded of himself._

_"I don't want things to change... when everyone comes back. When Brooke comes back.." she said slowly._

_"Peyton, how many times do I have to tell you that I don't care about Br-"_

_"I'm not worried about you. I'm worried about her. I don't want to hurt her again. I know that she still... I don't want to do anything that would hurt our friendship, she does mean a lot to me."_

_"I know," Lucas replied, ing his head to the side. "And you mean a lot to me." His hand cupped her face gently, and he leaned down to rest his chin on the top of her head, its cushion in her blonde curls. "More than you know," he added gently, nearly in a whisper._

_Right there, in that moment, he wanted to tell her that he loved her. He was head-over-heals in love with her. That when he wasn't with her, nothing seemed right. That she made him feel whole and happy and scared at the same time. That nothing else mattered to him but her._

_But then he remembered the last time he had spilled his feelings for her. In Dan Scott's bedroom, he told that he wanted everything with her. And then she had run from him. Pushed him away. Would she do that now? Was she ever in love with him before, like he had been infatuated with her? Was she in love with him now?_

_The answers were unknown to him... and he didn't want to risk this- what they had now. This carefree, but perfect thing they had going now. He didn't want to tell Peyton that he loved her, and kill what they had now. So he didn't._

_Peyton moved her head beneath his, and he lifted it and their eyes met. The look in her eyes was so full of pure intensity and adoration, that he couldn't think but help that she at least cared for him too. That this wasn't just a summer fling to her._

_She grabbed one of his hands, intertwining his fingers and hers. It was amazing how right her hand fit in hers- it was like their hands were made to hold each other. Was that possible?_

_Peyton took off through the flowers, letting go of his hand momentarily. He watched her fly through the flowers, her curls bouncing around her face and on her shoulders. The dance stopped, and she stood still amongst the stems and the petals, staring out across the field of rainbows. Pulling a flower from its stem, Lucas followed her trail and put his arms around her when he reached her, the flower still clasped in his hand. She laid her arms on top of his, putting her tiny hands around his, finding the flower._

_"I never thought there could be a perfect moment. In all my years, in everything I've lost, I didn't think it was possible. One moment where everything seems... right and special. It's defining and remembered for years to come.. and you couldn't forget it, even if you tried.." She turned to face him, laying her hands against his chest. Lucas put the flower behind her ear with a smile on his face. She stood on her toes, claiming Lucas' lips with her own. Lucas' hands on her back and waist lifted her up slightly, so she wasn't reaching as far. Dropping back to her normal height, she pulled back from him, but only slightly, due to the fact that Lucas was still holding her up. Their faces were still only centimeters apart. "But it is possible... with you." She kissed him again, Lucas accepting willingly. Merely her touch was intoxicating to him, but her kisses... they took his breath away, left his mind blank._

_Now she had his hand, and was pulling him back to their blanket. Kissing him feverently, her hands pulled at the bottom of his shirt and he lifted his arms to allow her to discard one of the layers of clothing that were separating them. "Every moment is perfect with you," he told her, his voice raspy and deep, the words finding their way over his swollen lips._

_She smiled in agreement, and Lucas brought his hand to her face, rubbing it gently with his thumb. "Do you know that you mean the world to me, Peyton Sawyer?"_

_Peyton nodded. "It's in your eyes. I see it every time you look at me," she said in a whisper, her voice barely audible._

_This time, it was Lucas who moved in for her lips, his hands becoming tangled in her hair. Peyton lifted her arms up as her own shirt came off, Lucas throwing it to the side._

_He was now propped up on his arms, hovering above her on the blanket. Their clothes were discarded around them and there was nothing between them now, nothing stopping them. Lucas stopped kissing her neck and brought his eyes to hers. The sun had started to go down and it threw shadows across her face._

_A kiss on the lips. A hand on his back, pulling him almost desperately to her._

_"Wait- are you cold?" he asked her, feeling a bit freezing himself. "Cause I brought another blanket..." He reached over to grab it and brought it over next to them._

_"I thought you said you didn't plan this?" she asked, a smirk on her face._

_"I didn't," he replied as he repositioned himself over her. "But I hoped for it. There's a difference there."_

_"Uh-ha," Peyton said as they resumed actions._

_**end flashback**_

Lucas' dream ended when he had reached over, still asleep, to pull Peyton closer to him on the bed. He went to touch her curls... but they weren't there. Lucas' eyes popped open and he found Brooke in front of him. Pulling his hand back, he held her breath as she moaned softly and then resumed her slumber.

It was just a dream...

He looked over at his alarm clock- it read five minutes from the time his alarm was supposed to go off.

It was just a dream, he repeated to himself again, trying to calm his rapid breathing and excitation. But he remembered that day like it had been yesterday. The first time him and Peyton had been together. Thinking of the magic of that moment- the way they had laid together after under the blanket in the field, watching the sun set and the stars appear in the sky one by one. There was only one word for what he felt that day-completion. Completion of his soul by the girl in his arms.

Hitting the snooze on the clock, he eased himself out of bed- to take a very, very cold shower.

**Please review!**


	21. When All That Was Known Is No More

**A/N: Thanks for alll the reviews:) They make me happier than you think. All that I can say about this update..is that everything changes. And that it's sad. And review por favor! **

It had been weeks since Lucas had talked directly to Peyton. And it had been weeks since Nathan had as much as looked at Haley. The two brothers had been on a mission together- to avoid their significant "others" as much as possible. Doing their homework, games of one on one- anything to pass the time and practice their game of avoidance was used to complete the mission.

Nathan and Lucas bounded up the steps to Lucas' home, their winter jackets and basketballs in hand. It was already getting warmer outside and both refused to wear their jackets out of determination for it to become summer, although spring was just beginning. Lucas pushed the door open after he kicked Nathan back down the stairs jokingly. The laughter died in his throat when he came face to face with Brooke, Haley.. and Peyton. He heard Nathan come up behind him, an insult on his tongue for sure, but he stopped short in the doorway.

The only one who didn't freeze the moment all of them were in the room together was Brooke. "Hey guys," she said as she greeted Lucas with a kiss on the cheek. "We were just hanging out... ya know, girl stuff."

Lucas glanced over to where Peyton and Haley sat at the kitchen counter, ice cream gallons stationed in front of them. Haley's spoon was halfway up to her mouth, her eyes locked on Nathan. Peyton's spoon was down on the counter beside her... with all of the ice cream from her last scoop in it. She exhanged a glance with Haley before crawling down from her stool. "Brooke- Haley and I have to go, but-"

"No!" Brooke whined loudly. "This is getting old. We haven't hung out all together in weeks! Why can't we just be together- all of us, like we used to be?"

"Do you want me to answer that?" Nathan asked feriously from the doorway. "Or should we ask someone else?"

Haley visibly flinched. "Nathan-" she said softly, but she stopped when he turned around abruptly and left the house, slamming the door behind him.

The house was left in silence. It was one of those silences where you could hear a pin drop and could but the tension with a knife.

Peyton cleared her throat. "Haley.." she said as she put her hand up on her arm. "You should go after him.. see if you can talk to him now. Maybe he's ready to talk about it."

"Did that seem ready to you?" Haley asked her back, her eyes wide and filling with tears.

Peyton glanced down to the floor. "He's had some time to think about it all... just try, Haley. What's worse than trying?" She had promised Nathan that she wouldn't tell Haley they had talked- and she planned to keep her word on that.

Haley looked towards Brooke and Lucas who were standing there with expressions of the upmost confusion on their faces. They still had no idea why there was such tension between her and Nathan.

"Okay," she whispered to Peyton, grabbing her jacket and heading out the door.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOX

"Nathan! Could you please just stop!" Haley screamed at his retreating back. She could only catch up to him so quickly and he wasn't helping her at all. Stinking long legs of his. She broke into a run and darted out in his path in front of him. She had a second where she thought he was just going to run her over and keep going, but he stopped.

She studied the annoyed look on his face for other emotion.. but she couldn't find one.

"Did you stop me just to stare at me?" he asked gruffly.

Haley let out a heavy sigh. "Can we just talk?" she asked him calmly, as little drops of rain started to fall on Nathan's bare arms. He looked up at the sky and realized that he didn't have his jacket with him.

"Fine. Talk."

Haley pulled her jacket closer around her as she mimicked his actions and looked up into the sky. "Can't we go somewhere- it's going to rai-"

Nathan shook his head. "Talk here or I'll keep going."

She glanced around her, where people were bumbling past them, with Lucas and Brooke's house only a little ways back. "I... I can't say anything that is going to make this better, can I?"

Nathan saw the tears that had formed in her eyes, and his cold attitude towards her almost disappeared. Almost. He wasn't going to give into her. Never, ever again.

"Haley, you-"

"I know what I did, can we please not go over all of it again," she asked as the rain started to fall harder. "All I can say is if I could do it over...I'd do the same thing."

He looked at her incredously. "What?"

"I did it for both of us Nathan. I gave up the baby for us. You have basketball and I have singing, and we couldn't have that we had a baby. It just wasn't the right time..."

"You're a broken record, Haley."

Her eyes widened and her eyes fell to the ground. The rain was falling hard now, making puddles on the ground. The rain mixed with the tears on her face as she shivered slightly. She looked up at Nathan. At the wet t-shirt that was clinging to him, at his dripping hair, his baby blue eyes. She was reminded of that kiss they had in the rain, outside of her house, to make up after their argument. "We're not...this is it for us, isn't it?"

Nathan's annoyed look faded.. but it was replaced by a sad one. "Yeah, Haley."

She bit her lip, blinking more tears onto her face. "I know 'I'm sorry' doesn't help... but I am, Nathan. More than you know."

"I know you are, Hales. But I can't... when I see you, all I think of now are the lies that you fed me over the past few years," he said quietly, but sternly. She had started to shiver, and the look in her eyes told him that he was breaking not only his own heart with his words, but hers as well. "And I can't love and be with something if I don't trust them or ever believe what's coming out of their mouth."

She wiped at her face, trying to control herself in front of him. "I can't- I don't know how to fix this, Nathan. I need to be with you... I have to be."

He cringed noticeably at her words and shook his head. "We're done," he stated. "For good."

They stared at each for a second... Haley was trying to come to terms with what he had just told her. Nathan looked like this conversation was killing him. And that was when she knew that he didn't want to do this... but she had made him. And it was over. Soaked to the bone and shivering, Haley let a sob loose. A hand came up to her mouth to stifle the noise.

Nathan stepped towards her, but she backed away from him, crying. "Don't..," she whispered. She went around him, running back to Brooke's house. Nathan stood in the rain for another moment, hanging his head. Not only was he cold...but he felt numb. He felt.. nothing.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXXOXOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOXOXOXOXXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

After Haley went out the door, Peyton sat herself back down on her stool, resuming her position in front of the ice cream. She didn't touch it though as she tucked a piece of her hair behind her ears. She had decided to straighten it today and she wondered at how different it felt.

"What's with them?" Brooke asked. "What happened.. you obviously know."

Peyton looked up to find herself being stared down by Brooke and Lucas. "It's not my place to tell you guys. Let one of them when they're ready."

"But it's big, right?" Lucas asked her, and her eyes traveled over to him. They hadn't spoken or seen each other in weeks- not since their conversation in the car. She felt something stir within her as their eyes met...

"Yeah," she confirmed. "It is."

Lucas sighed as Brooke went into her room her something. He sat himself down boldly in the seat next to her. Guess his and Nathan's plan had failed- big time.

"Cookie Dough, huh?" he asked her, referencing towards the container.

"Yup," she replied.

"What's up with your hair?"

"It's straight."

"I see that. I like it curly, though."

"And..?"

"Did I do something wrong?"

"You tell me," she said as she got up from her seat and went over to put her spoon in the sink. She turned back towards him and leaned against the counter, folding her arms across her chest. "Did you do something that caused you to be avoiding me all this time?"

Lucas' mouth dropped slightly at the question. Through the silence you could hear the rain hit the roof.

"I just- uh-" he stuttered.

"I thought we were going to be friends, Lucas."

He noticed how she never said 'Luke' anymore. "I'm trying, Peyt."

Peyt. He had called her Peyt. The memories flooded back to her of the times her had used that name. During the first time they had made love, sitting in the swing together, reading in her room...when he told her he loved her for the first time. The look on her face must have been a clue to what she was thinking, because he opened his mouth to say something, looking desperate- but Haley came bursting in through the door, dripping wet and sobbing.

Peyton jumped as the door popped open, interrupting her conversation with Lucas. Her eyes widened as she saw the state of Haley. Brooke came out of her room at the slamming of the door as Peyton rushed forward to grab onto a sobbing Haley.

"Towel, Brooke?" Peyton asked as she neared Haley, who was covering her face with her hands and shivering profusely.

Peyton pulled Haley into herself, crushing her against her chest, where she could feel Haley's body jolt with her unhappiness. "What happened," she asked, her voice sad. Haley only shook her head as Lucas looked on helplessly from the side. Brooke came through with a towel and started to dry Haley off with it to warm her up a bit.

"I'm sorry I made you go after him..."

"It's not your fault," Haley said as her head emerged out from the haven of her hands. Make-up was running down her tear stained face and she sniffed loudly. "It's my fault...all of it." She blinked more tears down her face. "He-he said that we were done... for good," she continued, her voice breaking.

Peyton and Brooke pulled her into a three person hug. "He didn't mean it, Haley," Lucas said from the sidelines, not wanting to intrude on their moment. "I know it."

Haley looked up from the middle of the massive hug to see him. "The way that he talks about you... the way he looks at you... you should see him, Hales. He's so in love with you that nothing should be able to stop him from being with you."

Peyton's cell phone rang, but she ignored it. "Go get your phone, Peyton," Haley told her, as she started to wipe off her face and bring herself into a hug with Lucas. She was still tearful..but they might have helped her, as much as they could, Peyton guessed as she grabbed her cell phone off the counter.

Lucas and Brooke still didn't know what was going on with Haley and Nathan, but he wasn't going to ask her now. Nathan was going to be a nightmare though for the next.. who knows how long. Wonderful. He glanced at Peyton over Haley's head, whose face turned from happy and smiling to deathly pale and morbid in about a second flat.

"That's not funny, Dad," she was saying. Her mouth dropped open slightly as she listened. "No..but..how is tha-", she continued until her father must have cut her off. She shook her head violently in response to his words. Brooke's attention had been captured by her too and she turned to Lucas to ask him what was going on. He merely shrugged and muttered, "I don't know." She snapped her cell phone shut, but her hands were shaking so badly that she dropped it to the floor with a crash. One of her trembling hands went up to her mouth as she sunk to the floor, her body shaking with sobs that echoed through the room.

All three of them just watched her, in shock at the sudden breakdown. But then Brooke snapped out of it, and rushed to kneel down to her on the floor. "Peyton...?" Peyton shrugged her off and abruptly stood up. She swept out the door so quick that none of them were able to react and stop her. Haley glanced at Lucas with her eyebrows raised, and made a motion with her head towards the door. She wanted him to follow Peyton. Running a hand through his hair, he nodded, knowing this probably wouldn't turn out well.

Peyton had made her way down the street, her hand still over her mouth as the tears came down her face. The rain pounded on her, but she didn't feel it. Her car was just a little bit down the block. Not able to see clearly, she bumped into a guy who was just standing still in the middle of the sidewalk. He turned as she fell to the ground roughly.

"I'm sor-" he started to say as he reached down to help whoever it was up. "Peyton?" he asked as he pulled her up so she was standing. He noticed the tears. "What's going on?" Nathan asked her. She shook her head and over her shoulder, Nathan saw his brother running towards them. Nathan took Peyton by the arms, trying to talk to her. "What's going on?" he repeated to her as Lucas reached them, a somber look on his face.

Nathan's eyes met Lucas' and he knew that Lucas didn't know what was going on any more than Nathan did. Lucas hesitated for a moment before he put a hand on her back, while Nathan was still holding her arms. Peyton's sobs seemed to have stilled for the moment, as she looked up into Nathan's face. "What's wrong?" he asked again, sternly this time. She pulled herself out his arms to wipe her face off as she sniffed. Lucas' hand remained steadily on her back and she leaned against him slightly. "I can't...". She sniffed again. "If I say it- then it..then it's real," she continued, her voice cracking with the last words. A tear fell slowly down her face. The rain was soaking all of them through their clothes, Nathan the most wet of them all.

"Peyton.." Lucas said as he spoke for the first time that he had been there. "It's going to be real either way.." he said as he removed his hand from her back and went to stand next to Nathan in front of her. "Please... you're scaring us," he pleaded further with her.

She wiped at her face again, determined not to break down any further in front of him. "That.. that was my dad. He called and he..he said.." The tears started to leak out of her eyes again, much to her chagrin. "It's Ellie- Elizabeth..."

"Your birth mother?"

She nodded quickly, as the tears kept coming. Hesitantly, Lucas took one of her hands in her own, while Nathan was left to look on and wonder who 'Ellie' was.

"She... there was an accident- a car accident..," she said, her voice small. She shook her head, unable to continue, but both Lucas and Nathan understood. She shivered. Whether it be from the rain or from her thoughts Lucas didn't know, but he habitually reached out to comfort her. To his surprise, she didn't resist. She came crashing into his chest, looking for any source of comfort, anything that could make this disapper. He felt her hands ball up his t-shirt as she clung to him.

Nathan noted the surprised look on his brother's face as Peyton clung to him. He had to say he was surprised himself. She had been glaring daggers at him ten minutes ago.

"Please..." she was saying into his shirt. "...make it go away." Lucas recovered from his initial shock and put his arms tentatively around her. "You always fix things for me," she whispered. "Fix this.. save me from this..please," she asked desperately, looking up at him. Lucas felt his heart twist at the hopeful look in her shiny, green eyes. He looked away from her.

"Peyton I... I can't. I can't fix this." She hung her head in response to her words and his heart broke soundly. "But I can be there for you through it..okay, I can help you through this."

She nodded. "I know.." she said slowly. Realizing she was still in his arms, she backed up from him, coming back to her senses slightly. She pulled the wet hair that was sticking to her face back from her, sniffing again. She tried to rub the discomfort from her eyes, but it didn't work. She couldn't think straight. All she knew was this buzzing in her head.. a dull, numb, nothingness...

"Peyton? Peyton?"

She shook her head slightly to try and clear it, but the buzzing remained. "I wanna go home," she mumbled quietly as she started for her car down the street. Lucas exchanged as look with Nathan and they both followed her to her car. "What are you doing?" she asked as Lucas made his way over to the drivers side of the car.

"We're going to take you home," Nathan responded as he opened the door for her and got her in the backseat.

The drive home was silent and Lucas' eyes kept being drawn to the mirror, where he could see her in the backseat. She wasn't crying anymore... she wasn't doing anything really. Just sitting there with this blank look on his face. They arrived at her apartment and the three got into the house. All three were damp and shivering as Peyton ran a hand through her curling hair. So much for it being straight today. But was that really relevant right now? Was anything?

Nathan and Lucas were watching her quietly. "Um.. I'm going to go take a shower.. then pack, I guess," she said slowly as she started for the stairs.

"To go where- Miami?" Lucas asked her, making her turn back around.

Peyton shook her head. "My dad said he wanted to have her buried next to my other mom... back in Tree Hill..." she said quietly, her voice cracking. "You guys should go home.." she said as she proceeded up the stairs. When she came back down, Lucas and Nathan were still sitting on the couch. Nathan was busy praying the Haley didn't come home and Lucas had papers in his hand. "What are you still doing here?" Peyton asked them.

Lucas looked her over- from her baggy clothes to her bloodshot and puffy eyes, and he held the papers up to her. She took them from his hand. "I got us some plane tickets... the flight leaves in the morning."

"Us?" Peyton asked as she read the paper. "Three tickets?"

Nathan nodded. "Three."

Peyton saw their bags on the floor. Looks like they had gone home to get their stuff while she was taking her hour long shower.

"If that's okay..?" Lucas asked her quietly, not even sure that Peyton would want him to go with her. They really weren't on the best of terms.

"Yeah..thank you." She handed the papers back to him.

"You should go and try and get some rest," he told her quietly, although they both knew she wouldn't be able to really sleep. Just like the time they waited overnight in that motel room to see if her father was dead.

"Okay." She headed into her room as Lucas flopped back on the couch with Nathan.

**Please review:) **


	22. The Past Will Find You

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews...hope you like this update as well. :) Pretty much all LP - present day and past. **

"So how come it's the three of us going?" Peyton asked quietly as they stood with their bags in the line at the airport.

"Brooke has work.. and well Haley- I'm sure she had something to do.." Lucas trailed off, with a glance at Nathan, who rolled his eyes.

Peyton nodded. "Are you sure this is okay, Peyton? I mean.. I can stay here, you can go with just Nathan."

"I'm sure," she said in confirmation. "Why are you so eager to get out of it?" she asked back.

"Just.. we've been- you and I are-"

"We're trying to be friends."

Lucas sighed. "Yeah." The conversation paused as the three handed over their luggage and checked in. Starting their walk to the terminal, they continued. "It's just I know this is- and is going to be- hard for you... and I don't want to make it any harder by being here."

Peyton opened her mouth to respond as they were called to board their plane to Tree Hill.

"Listen," Nathan interrupted. "If you're going to keep rehashing your past, present, and future relationship, could you do it when I can't hear you?"

Lucas and Peyton kept their mouths shut until they boarded the plane.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

He held back a sigh as he looked at the building in front of the three of them. All three just stood there for a moment, the reality of the moment sinking in. It was warm here, they had all shed their jackets, hung over their arms, with their bags in their hands. A small breeze blew her hair around her face and she shivered a bit. He knew it wasn't from the cold- since it wasn't cold at all.

She could feel his eyes on her. The concerned look he was giving her... she shivered slightly under his gaze. She always did. Probably always would.

Her eyes turned to meet his and he could see the pain in them. The raw, intense pain shimmered there in her eyes. Giving her a small smile, he placed a hand up on her shoulder, firmly, but gently.

He was always there when something bad happened. Somehow, it make her feel better to know that. She didn't know why, or how, but in some way or another, it did. Her eyes filled with tears and he placed his hand on her shoulder lightly, sympathizing with her over her lost mother. But he couldn't sympathize with her over the other things she had lost. The other things she could never have. He couldn't help her feel better about losing him. He didn't know it either.

A tear slipped down her cheek slowly and Lucas swallowed roughly, both lost in the moment.

But then the door opened and the moment was over. Peyton wiped the tear from her face as she turned at the noise, seeing her father in the doorway of their home. The same house that she had grown up in. The same house that held all of her childhood memories- the good and the bad.

Finding comfort in her father's arms, as he whispered words of encouragement, was enough to bring her into full sobs. Her father ushered her into the house, leaving Lucas and Nathan to follow helplessly.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Later that night, Lucas couldn't sleep. And guessing from the wrestling on the floor beside his couch, Nathan wasn't having much luck either. Both of them had been stationed in the living room, while Peyton took her own old room, and her father stayed in his. Rubbing the tired out of his eyes, Lucas quietly got off the couch and made his way to the bathroom up the stairs.

After using the facilities, he intended on heading back down to the couch- but found himself stopping in front of Peyton's door. It was left open a crack, so he pushed it open a bit- just to check on her. He wanted to make sure she was okay.

She was sitting on the bed, her back to him as he stood in the doorway. Walking around the bed, he found that she had headphones in her ears. When she noticed him there, she took them out slowly. "Hey," she said softly, shifting on her bed slightly.

"You okay?" Lucas asked her. He looked around the room, finding the chair at her computer, and sat himself down in it.

His eyes sought her back out. In the darkness of the room, the only light of the room was the moonlight coming in through the blinds of her window. It reflected on her face... made her eyes look bright... brought out the fading blonde of her curly hair.

She sighed quietly into the silence and started to fidget with her headphones. Getting up from his chair, he kneeled down in front of her on the floor, so their heads were about level. He put a hand on her active ones, silencing their haphazard movements. Their eyes locked and Lucas felt his heart jump in his chest. "Do you remember the last time we were here, Lucas?"

He looked around her room... which hadn't changed a bit. The memories flooded back in.. filling his head...

**_start flashback_**

_Lucas kept his eyes closed, bathing in the moment... in her touch. Her curls were tickling his bare arm, but he didn't move. With every breath her head rose and fell. But he didn't have to see it to know, he could feel her there on his bare chest. The arm wrapped around him securely, holding on to him in her sleep. He could feel it all. He didn't have to see her._

_The night before had been amazing. Laying under the stars after consummating their relationship for the first time. Coming back here... having their second, third times... yeah it was a good night. But the morning after was ten times better. Having her here in his arms... with him after all this time. Nothing to hold them back... nothing to stand in their way. They were finally together- what he had wanted all along._

_He squeezed her to him slightly closer, fingering her hair in his hand. He still didn't know why he was afraid to tell her that he was in love with her. Maybe it was because he had never felt this way before, with any other person in his life. Peyton was someone that could make him feel safe, wonderful, but scared and vulnerable at the same time. With three words, he could loose her, scare her off. And his heart would be shattered all over the floor. But he had to tell her. He knew it in his heart. And he would do it today._

_Peyton's phone started to ring and Lucas started, his eyes coming open and squinting into the blinding sunlight. She moaned and buried her head further into his chest. Lucas looked over to the table to read who it was off of her caller ID. "You should get it," Lucas said gently. She lifted her head up off of him, looking at him groggily. He chuckled at the look on her face, but leaned down to kiss her forehead. Reaching across him, she grabbed her phone, but wrapped the blanket around her body as she went, leaving Lucas with nothing on. "Hey!" he yelled after her, as she disappeared from the room._

_XOXOXOXOXO_

_"You're getting dressed?" Peyton asked as she came back into the room. Lucas had pants on and was halfway through pulling his shirt over his head when he froze at her words._

_"Was I not supposed to?" he asked slowly, a slight smirk coming over his face._

_"I was hoping you..wouldn't.." she responded, shifting the blanket up further around her as she spoke._

_"And why's that?" Lucas asked back as she neared him. She put her arms up around his neck and the blanket fell to the floor. With a chuckle, he leaned down his face to hers, claiming her full lips with his own. He moved the hair from her face, trailing a line of kisses down from her temple to her jaw line. Next was her neck as he backed her up to the bed, throwing his shirt off to the side. He leaned her down gently, his mouth traveling lower to her stomach...then lower... _

_XOXOXOXO_

_Peyton sighed contentedly as Lucas took her hand and wove their fingers together on top of the sheet that was covering them. "I think I'm liking this new stage of our relationship, Luke."_

_Lucas laughed slightly as he kissed her cheek softly. She squeezed his hand in response. "So what did your dad call for?"_

_Peyton groaned loudly. "Awww, Luke..don't talk about my father when we're in bed...!" She popped herself out of the bed and searched for some clothes._

_"What are you doing?" Lucas asked, now sitting up in the bed._

_"You ruined the mood," she quipped back at him, making an ugly face at him as she pulled on her clothes._

_Lucas rolled her eyes at her and followed her off the bed to get some of his own clothes. Peyton had provided him with a drawer to keep basic stuff in for the time being, seeing as though he practically lived in her house._

_She was finished dressing and stood watching him for a moment while his back was turned. It took a whole lot of self control not to pull those clothes back off and drag him back to the bed... biting her lip, she shook off the urge- or at least tried to._

_He was pulling on pants when Peyton 'accidently' kicked out her foot, just a little hard, into his leg. Being still stuck in his pants, he fell over onto the floor with a big thud. He looked up at her in disbelief, his face half-way between annoyance and shock. "What?" Peyton asked innocently. He sputtered for a second at her response, but before Peyton could stop him, he taken her own legs and pulled her down on top of him._

_"Lucas!" she shrieked, smacking him hard on the arm. She was know sitting in his lap on the floor._

_"Ow..," he exclaimed, rubbing his arm. She smacked him again._

_"What are you hitting me for?" he asked, with a laugh. "It's your fault we're down here to begin with.."._

_"You think you're soo funny, huh?" Peyton asked him._

_"Uh-ha," he replied right before he sunk his lips to hers._

_Peyton pulled back from him. "So are we ever going to leave this room," she asked with a smirk. "Cause I'm okay if we don't."_

_Lucas shifted her slightly so she fit better on his lap. "Actually..I made plans for us tonight."_

_"Really? Where to," she asked as she clasped her hands behind his neck._

_"That is a surprise..." he told her as he tucked one of her curls behind her ear._

_"Am I going to have to actually get dressed and leave the house?"_

_"Formally, yes."_

_"Formally..", she asked in surprise. "What exactly are we doing?"_

_Lucas shrugged innocently. "You'll see."_

_**pause flashback**_

Downstairs, Nathan switched positions on the floor for the hundreth time that night. Sleep would just not come for him tonight. Lucas still hadn't come down from the bathroom, so he decided that Lucas either fell in the toilet...or he was checking on Peyton. Bets were on the latter.

His hand found itself on the folded and creased piece of paper in his pocket. He took it out of his hiding place and unfolded it carefully, almost noiselessy. The words on the paper held all the information he needed for the following days, after the funeral tomorrow, of course. He fingered a single word on the paper before putting it back in his pocket- Emma.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Yeah...I remember," Lucas answered, his voice barely audible.

Peyton bit her lip and seemed to be struggling with something, trying to say it, but not saying anything at all. "I- how...I don't understand..."

"What?"

"How can you not hate me...? After what I did...to you..to us.." she asked him, her voice cracking.

Lucas drew his hand back from hers, as quick as if someone had shocked him.

"You should get some sleep..it's going to be a long day tomorrow...", he told her as he rose up from the floor.

"Why won't you answer me?"

"I...can't. I can't answer that, Peyton." He stopped in the doorway. "Go to sleep," he said again, turned and abruptly left leaving a confused Peyton in his wake.

Lucas found himself back on the couch, his heart beating wildly. He had let her get to him- again. This has got to stop. It had to...didn't it? He thought back again to that day..

_**continue flashback**_

_Peyton was to arrive any second now. Lucas was running late getting ready, due to the fact that it had taken longer than he guessed to set up the scene for their date tonight. Out on the beach, in their designated spot..he had set up a table for their dinner. Lanterns and flower petals surrounded it, and he had even hired a waiter for the two of them. It was to be the perfect night...the night where he would see if she loved him back. If she spent every second of every day thinking about him...if she felt lost when he wasn't within feet of her..if she had never felt more amazing in her life than these past couple of weeks...he would know tonight._

_He heard the doorbell ring. Unlike her, he still used his. It was funny how they were both living alone now... at least until his mother came back in a week or so. Moving to open the door, he struggled with his tie..one hand on it, while the other opened the door._

_"You are just in time to help me with my tie-" he started but stopped when he caught the look on her face. It was one of pure devastation... she was wringing her hands...her hair was a mess..._

_"Peyt, what's-"_

_"A mistake, Lucas? You told Brooke that you and me were a mistake?"_

_Lucas closed his mouth to respond..but shut it with lack of something to say for himself._

_"You did," Peyton said softly, as though she really hadn't believed it before and he had just confirmed it for her. "I guess I made a mistake then, too."_

**Okay..so that's a kinda confusing update...it was originally in more pieces than that to make more than one update..but I hope it's alright. Ask questions if you're wondering about something, of course. Please review:)**


	23. Past Of One Scott, the Future of Another

**A/N: So this is shorter than usual..but I figure one could only comprehend so much info at once..and there's a lot here. So..please review and I hope you like it:)**

_**continue flashback**_

_She turned away from him to head back down the stairs...to hide the tears that had slowly started to fall down her face. This was why she didn't want to get into a relationship with him. Her heart was held too much on the line...she was too vulnerable and she hated feeling that way. Lucas was the only one who could make her fold down her fortified walls..who could make her open up...and then rip her heart into shreds in the end. He had done the same thing when he had slept with Nicki..and now it was more personal, more close to home. It was about her and Brooke. Did he really think that everything with her had been a mistake..when he said that he had to be with her..when he said she wasn't Brooke...was it just a lie? Or is he lying to Brooke about the box? Did he really still have feelings for Brooke...even when he had told her differently? The more questions that flew through her head, the faster she walked. She had expected him to come after her...but everything had changed with one phonecall from her best friend in California. _

_Lucas stood on the porch watching her retreating back. He couldn't call her back...couldn't move. Why? Why couldn't he run after her? What was wrong with him? She disappeared from his sight and he felt...empty. And yet he still couldn't move. He had hurt her again...she was crying. Was this it? Had he lost her again? He clenched his fists at the thought. No...he couldn't lose her. He wouldn't. He didn't know what he would do if he didn't have her in his life. His feet started to move towards the beach..their spot...because he knew she would be there. He knew her...she would be there._

_She had stopped feet before the petals and candles that surrounded the table. He came to stand up next to her. Glancing sideways at her, he noticed she had stopped crying..but she hadn't bothered to wipe the tears off her face. "Peyton I-"_

_"You did this," she whispered, motioning towards the table._

_Lucas nodded. "Yeah," he said softly. "Listen, I know-"_

_She cut him off again. "Can we just...eat. Enjoy the meal?"_

_Lucas was taken aback. How was he supposed to eat and enjoy a meal with their relationship hanging delicately in the balance? But if that's what she wanted..."Sure.." he said slowly. "Yeah, we can do that." He pulled out her chair for her and she sat down without a glance or a word to him._

_Lucas watched her as she moved the food around on her plate aimlessly. Her eyes were on the waves, and she seemed to be staring at nothing. He knew this meant that she was thinking. Neither one of them had said a word for at least twenty minutes as they both pretended to eat their food. Lucas cleared his throat to maybe grab her attention...but she didn't even turn her head. He put his fork down with a clang. "I know that you want to just enjoy the meal...but I can't Peyton. I can't sit here and do nothing..". Her eyes left the waves and focused on his face for the first time that night. The look she was giving him broke his heart. Her face held dissapointment...and pain. He swallowed hard. To think, he had set up this dinner tonight to tell her how much her cared about her..how much he loved her. And now.. he had to save them._

_He sighed. "When I said that to Brooke..."_

_Peyton shook her head. "I really don't want to hear an explanantion, Lucas."_

_"Well then what-" Lucas bit his lip. "What can I do...?"_

_"Nothing," she said simply. "We've already been through this whole thing...why you told Brooke you wanted to be with her and all that. I don't want to hear about that...because I understand it. The part that I'm not quite grasping is..."_

_"Why I said it was a mistake?" Lucas finished for her. She nodded. "I lied to her, Peyton. She was leaving and I was desperate...so I lied."_

_"How do I know you're not lying to me right now, Lucas? How do I know it's not just one of your lines?"_

_Lucas scoffed and rubbed a hand over his slightly scruffy face. "Do you really believe that? That I would lie to you? Has there ever been a point in our whole relationship, when we were friends or now, that I've lied to you?"_

_Peyton shook her head. "But you've hurt me, Lucas. You just keep hurting me again..and again..and I keep letting you. Everytime I put myself out on the line for you, you make me regret it."_

_Lucas raked a hand through his hair. "Okay...do you remember that day in the library...where you were drawing and I was reading...and Whitey came and called me into the gym to join the basketball team? Where you caught me staring at you..and you rolled your eyes in that cute little way you do?"_

_"Yeah...?"_

_"That was it for me. That was the day I fell for you. The day that I knew I wanted you. And my feelings haven't changed since. The one thing you don't understand, Peyton, is that no matter who I'm with...or what I say..it's always there. The feelings I have for you. No one I have ever been with has made me feel the way that you make me feel, okay? You just...when I'm not with you, I have this hollow, aching feeling in my chest...when I'm around you, it's hard to breathe, it's hard to concentrate on anything...I feel so much for you that it scares me sometimes, because who would think you could feel this way when you were still in highschool? But I do, Peyton. I guess what I'm getting at here is that...I love you, Peyt."_

_She just stared at him, her eyes wide. "And I know this is a bad time to tell you that..but...I needed to say it, Peyton. I needed you to know it."_

_"What do you want me to say, Lucas? That what you just told me makes everything better? That I love you too, and we can just forget about the rest of the world because of it? Pretend there's no Brooke...pretend it's just you and me in this world...is that what you want?"_

_"I-"_

_"I'm leaving, Lucas," she said as she rose from her seat and headed away from the table..from him..from them._

_No, he said to himself. He wouldn't loose her. He tore out of his own seat and chased after her. "Then I'm coming with you."_

_Peyton shook her head. "I doubt your mother would let you leave the state."_

_Lucas stopped walking. "What?" Peyton walked a few more paces before stopping and turning around to face him. He was looking at her like she was crazy._

_"When my dad called this morning..he told me that he was going on a year long trip- to the Bahamas. He offered for me to come with him." Peyton paused._

_"So you're going?" Lucas asked, his throat suddenly dry. "Wait- did you tell him you would this morning on the phone, Peyton?"_

_"I actually..turned him down this morning. I said I wasn't going to go..because of school, it is our senior year..and college applications...and..you."_

_"Peyton, you..can't.."_

_She continued like she didn't hear him. "But then I called him on the way over here...I leave in the morning."_

_Lucas watched as she walked away...again. How many times was she going to walk away from him?_

_**pause flashback**_

Ellie's funeral was over. Lucas had spent it at Peyton's side, his hand on her back for a small support. Lucas had headed his seperate way from Peyton and Nathan..mainly just to clear his head. More like to clear Peyton out of his head. Lucas found himself at his mother's now. The door was unlocked so he pushed it open. "Mom?"

He came into the living room to find his mother's face plastered to a man's. They sprang apart when Lucas came into the room. It was Keith. His mother was kissing Keith...Keith was kissing his mother. His jaw dropped a bit at the scene in front of him. "Lucas! What are you doing here?" his mother asked him before pulling him into a tight hug.

"Definately didn't come to see that..," Lucas muttered before pulling Keith into a hug. "So you guys are..."

"We've been meaning to tell you, Luke," his mother spoke up. "Are you okay..with us dating?"

As hard as Lucas tried to act defiant, he couldn't stop the grin that came to his face. "Of course."

Both Keith and his mother looked relieved. "Just..no more of..that..in front of me, please."

"Deal," Keith said as he took Karen's hand. "Not that it's not great to see you, Luke...but what are you doing here?"

"Oh..right. Sorry," Lucas said with a laugh. "Just in town," he said with a shrug.

"Just in town...you do realize how far you live and how silly of a statement that just was?"

Lucas ran a hand through his hair. "I'm here with Nathan..and Peyton." Lucas' mother knew everything about him and Peyton, but she didn't know that Peyton had come to New York.

"Peyton?" his mother asked.

Lucas nodded. "She's in New York..internship at MTV. Her...ummm..birth mother's funeral was this morning and we came back in town for it."

Karen nodded. "Is she okay?"

"Nathan and I are getting her through it..she'll be fine."

Karen glanced at Keith for a moment. "Could we have a second?" Keith rose, "Sure", and walked into the kitchen. She turned to Lucas when he was gone from hearing range. "Are you okay?"

Lucas sank into the couch next to his mother. "Yea..I mean..I don't know. I'm just..confused. I thought I had gotten over her..and pushed those feelings for her down enough they wouldn't bother me anymore..but then she came back. The second I saw her face..everything feeling, every thought I had about her came rushing back. And then there's me and Brooke..that's not going so well."

"Why...what's going on?"

XOXOXOXOXOXXOXOXOX

At the same time, Nathan had taken Peyton for a walk..in a seemingly random direction. Peyton had been silent as they walked and Nathan chanced a glance at her. "How you doing, Peyton?"

She blinked and her eyes rose from the ground to meet his. "I'm fine."

"Don't lie," Nathan said. "I know you're not fine. Of course you're not."

She nodded and he caught a ghost of a smile upon her face. "I just..I keep thinking that I had this second chance to have a mother...and I left town. I always seem to leave..don't I? I just left her..took advantage of the fact that she was there, in my life. And I left. And now..she's gone. Once you leave something..I guess it's hard to get another chance to have it again. Me and Elie, you and Haley.."

"You and Lucas," Nathan finished for her. "Speaking of..what's up with you two? You two seem pretty..close lately."

Peyton shook her head. "You're forgetting something here, Nathan. Lucas is married to Brooke. There's no 'me and Lucas'...it was just something in the past.  
something that is obviously over now."

They walked in silence for a moment. "Do you believe the lies you tell yourself?" he asked suddenly. "Do you really think that there's nothing there between the two of you..? That all the looks and the touches mean nothing?"

She opened her mouth to respond, her facial expression irate, when a basketball came bouncing against Nathan's legs. "Emma! What did I say about playing with the ball on the sidewalk?" rang the voice of a woman.

Peyton's eyes widened at the name of the child in front of them..then the appearance of the child. Her eyes were the same blue as Nathan's..the hair and the face was Haley's... "Emma..?" she breathed. "Nathan you-"

But she stopped mid sentence as Nathan picked the ball up from the sidewalk and walked a few feet closer to the three year old. "Did you loose something?" he asked her playfully. Emma giggled and took the orange mini basketball from Nathan's hands. "  
"I'm sorry about that...". Emma's adoptive mother had made her way down the sidewalk after her active child. She hoisted Emma up onto her hip and faced Nathan and Peyton.

"It's not a problem," Nathan responded, his eyes still on the- his- child. He extended his hand out and she took it up in a handshake. "I'm..Lucas," Nathan told her. "This is Peyton." Peyton waved her hand in greeting with a meek, "Hi."

The woman grinned at the two of them. "I'm Maddie. And this here is Emma," she said referencing to the child in her arms. "You two new to the neighborhood?"

Nathan glanced at Peyton. "Yeah.." he lied slowly. "We're actually looking around for an apartment for the two of us," he said as he pulled Peyton's hand into his own. He nudged her in the side. "Yeah.." Peyton said as she nodded. "It's such a nice area."

"It is..my husband and I actually moved here a few years back..right before we adopted Emma here."

"Oh she's adopted?" Nathan asked with a feign innocence.

Maddie bent down to put Emma on the ground, who was still holding tight to her basketball until she reached the ground. "Yeah she is..." Maddie replied. Emma teetered on her feet over to Nathan. When she reached him she held the ball up in her the air for him to take. "Play wih me?" she asked him in her adorable voice.

Peyton bit her lip over the look that had just taken over Nathan's face. A look like someone had just punched his face..or broken his heart. Sometimes they felt the same, didn't they? He just stared at her with that look on his face. Peyton cleared her throat. Maddie was starting look at him strangely. "Um.  
Lucas..hun.." She put a hand on his arm, squeezing him slightly. "Don't you think it's time we got going? We do have that..appointment to look at the apartment in a few minutes."

Nathan's eyes remained on his daughter. "Yeah..", he said slowly. He tore his eyes off of her, placing them on the woman who was the mother to his daughter.  
instead of Haley. "It was nice to meet you," he managed to choke out. His chest felt tight...his head was spinning...He felt Peyton guiding them away and down the street.

Peyton glanced back to see Maddie watching them walk away, Emma at her feet playing with the ball. She threw them a wave and Peyton waved back, guiding Nathan down the street away from them.

"How..why...what do you think you're doing?" she asked him in a low tone. "I thought we were just walking...but you knew where Emma was this whole time.  
you can't just show up at the house of the adoptive parents like that."

But Nathan wasn't responding. "Nate?"

"I just.." he said slowly. "I don't know what to think anymore. About Haley..or Emma..or anything. All Haley has done is confuse my life..make it more complicated. I just..need some time for myself.." He glanced back at Emma playing with the basketball. "She likes basketball," he stated quietly.

"Nathan-" she said again, her voice almost a whisper.

"I'll be back tonight..." he said as he headed away from her.

"Where are you going?" Peyton yelped after him.

He shrugged and crossed the street, leaving Peyton looking after him. "Well that's just great," she muttered. She looked around her, not quite sure where she was at the moment. "Hhhmm," she said as she spotted a bar.

**Poor Nate :( Please review! **


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